Jaeger-LeCoultre Unveils The Collectibles VII with 10 Vintage Watches in Hong Kong

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What Is Jaeger-LeCoultre's The Collectibles Programme?

The Collectibles is Jaeger-LeCoultre's in-house initiative dedicated to sourcing, restoring and selling historically significant watches from its archives of design and technical innovation. Established around 17 emblematic model families, the programme primarily explores the period from the mid-1920s to the early 1970s. Its scope includes influential creations such as the Duoplan, Reverso, Geophysic, Futurematic and Memovox Polaris. Individual capsule releases may also include later watches that demonstrate how these original designs evolved.

Unlike conventional vintage watch sales, The Collectibles places restoration under the responsibility of the original manufacturer. Jaeger-LeCoultre maintains a specialist workshop where ten master watchmakers service movements, rebuild components when necessary and use historical parts from the company's heritage stocks. The objective is to return each watch to reliable working condition while preserving its original character, including the patina that develops over decades of use.

Each restored watch is accompanied by an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a copy of The Collectibles book. These documents provide historical context for the timepiece and the model family to which it belongs. For collectors, the programme offers an opportunity to acquire vintage watches that have been examined and restored by the manufacturer responsible for their original production.

The Collectibles VII: Ten Vintage Watches from 1931 to 2003

The seventh capsule covers several distinct periods in Jaeger-LeCoultre's history, from early rectangular wristwatches to complicated platinum Reverso models produced at the beginning of the 21st century. Rather than concentrating on a single collection, the selection illustrates how the manufacturer approached miniaturisation, unusual case construction and practical mechanical functions. The ten watches are divided across the Duoplan, Calibre 101, Reverso, Triple Calendar, Futurematic and Memovox families.

Duoplan Chain, 1955

The 1955 Duoplan Chain demonstrates how Jaeger-LeCoultre integrated mechanical watchmaking into jewellery design during the middle of the 20th century. Made from 73.92 grams of 18-carat pink gold, the watch features a flexible bracelet formed from polished links. Its appearance is closer to an elegant piece of jewellery than a conventional wristwatch, reflecting the importance of compact movements in women's watchmaking during this period.

Inside is Calibre 403, the Duoplan movement developed for small women's watches. The model also features heat-blued hands, produced through a traditional process in which carefully controlled heating changes the colour of the metal. The combination of miniature mechanics and an elaborate gold bracelet makes this one of the clearest historical references for the new Calibre 101 Chain introduced at the exhibition.

Duoplan Tubogas, 1949

The Duoplan Tubogas from 1949 takes a different approach to jewellery watchmaking, combining contrasting gold colours with a concealed dial. Its case is made from 18-carat yellow gold, while the ribbed bracelet and the cover positioned above the dial are crafted from 18-carat pink gold. The vertical detailing gives the watch a strong geometric character associated with jewellery design of the 1940s.

The dial remains hidden beneath the decorative cover until the wearer chooses to reveal it. This construction allows the watch to function as a bracelet while retaining a mechanical timekeeping movement. Like the Duoplan Chain, the Tubogas model is powered by Calibre 403, demonstrating how the same compact mechanism could support very different case and bracelet designs.

Duoplan Monocorne, circa 1935

Dating from approximately 1935, the Duoplan Monocorne is distinguished by its unusual single-lug construction. Instead of the conventional pair of lugs at each end of the case, the watch uses one attachment point on each side, connected to a polished, rounded bar. This arrangement changes the visual relationship between the case and strap, giving the watch a distinctive appearance.

The 18-carat pink-gold case surrounds a copper-toned dial fitted with blued hands. Jaeger-LeCoultre has paired the restored watch with a custom-made light brown calfskin strap featuring beige hand-stitching. The combination of an unconventional case attachment and restrained dial design illustrates the experimentation that characterised early wristwatch development.

Calibre 101 Art Deco, circa 1950

One of the smallest watches in the collection is an Art Deco-style Calibre 101 model dating from around 1950. Its platinum case measures just 6.15mm in width and 5.84mm in thickness, accommodating the miniature mechanical movement for which Jaeger-LeCoultre became renowned. Calibre 101 was introduced in 1929 and remains an important achievement in the history of mechanical watch miniaturisation.

The case is made from 950 platinum and decorated with ten baguette-cut diamonds, complemented by blue decorative panels. A further twelve baguette-cut diamonds are incorporated into two rings on the cordonnet bracelet, bringing the total to 22 stones. The watch demonstrates how an exceptionally small mechanical movement enabled designs in which the timekeeping mechanism occupied only a fraction of the overall jewellery composition.

Reverso Cordonnet, 1931

The 1931 Reverso Cordonnet represents the early development of Jaeger-LeCoultre's most recognisable reversible watch design. Originally conceived with a swivelling case that could protect the dial during sporting activities, the Reverso quickly developed beyond its initial purpose. This women's version features a steel case and a dial layout with numerals and restrained corner details.

The watch contains Calibre T051, supplied by Tavannes during the first year of Reverso production while LeCoultre & Cie developed its own shaped movements for the rectangular case. This early reliance on an external movement supplier reflects the technical challenges involved in creating a movement suitable for the Reverso's distinctive proportions. The Cordonnet therefore provides a connection to the manufacturing history of the original Reverso.

Reverso Platinum Number 1, 2001

The Reverso Platinum Number 1 belongs to a later chapter in the collection's history, when Jaeger-LeCoultre began exploring increasingly sophisticated mechanical constructions within the familiar reversible case. Introduced in 2001 as a limited edition of 500 pieces, the watch features a 950 platinum case and a skeletonised movement. Its Calibre 849R-SQ was specially adapted for the Reverso case, allowing the intricate architecture of the mechanism to become a central design feature.

The movement's bridges and both sides of the barrel are engraved by hand, creating an openworked appearance that exposes the mainspring and surrounding components. Blued hands and a sapphire set into the crown provide contrasting details against the platinum case. The watch is fitted with a blue cordovan leather strap made by Casa Fagliano, reinforcing the connection between traditional craftsmanship and the more elaborate mechanical design.

Reverso Platinum Number 2, 2003

The Reverso Platinum Number 2 followed in 2003, also produced as a limited edition of 500 watches. Its platinum case houses a movement incorporating a tourbillon and an unusual power-reserve indication. Rather than using a conventional subsidiary display, the power reserve is shown by a hand mounted coaxially with the hour and minute hands.

The grey dial features hand-painted numerals, while the tourbillon is only discreetly suggested through the small-seconds display on the front. Turning the case reveals the mechanism more fully, including the rotating tourbillon cage supported by a mirror-polished bridge. A blue cordovan leather strap handcrafted by Casa Fagliano completes the watch, matching the restrained appearance of the dial with traditional leatherwork.

Triple Calendar, 1949

The 1949 Triple Calendar represents Jaeger-LeCoultre's development of practical calendar complications during the 1940s. The manufacturer's complete calendar mechanism, introduced in 1942, displays the day, date and month, offering more information than a conventional date-only wristwatch. This particular example is housed in an 18-carat pink-gold case with distinctive teardrop-shaped lugs.

An unusual feature is the language used for the calendar indications. The day and month discs are printed in Portuguese, reflecting the watch's original configuration for Portuguese-speaking customers. Jaeger-LeCoultre has paired the restored model with a burgundy calfskin strap that complements the warm colour of the gold case.

Futurematic E502, 1958

The Futurematic E502 is among the most technically distinctive watches in the capsule. Introduced as part of the Futurematic family, which first appeared in 1951, the E502 became known as the Porthole because of its two small circular displays. These indicate the power reserve and running seconds, replacing the conventional arrangement of centrally mounted seconds and a separate power-reserve subdial.

The movement was designed to stop before its energy reserve was completely exhausted, retaining sufficient power to restart when the wearer moved the watch again. A stop-seconds device allows the wearer to set the time more precisely. The 1958 example features a 37mm steel case and a dark blue calfskin strap, while the E502 reference is regarded as the rarest variant within the Futurematic family.

Memovox Parking, 1958

The Memovox Parking was one of three models introduced in 1958 to celebrate Jaeger-LeCoultre's 125th anniversary. Its purpose was unusually practical: helping motorists keep track of parking time and avoid penalties. The watch uses a mechanical alarm that can be set for intervals of 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes, providing an audible reminder when the selected period has elapsed.

Power comes from the manually wound Calibre 814, a movement developed around the Memovox alarm function. The watch is housed in a 35mm steel case and fitted with a dark blue calfskin strap. Its inclusion in The Collectibles VII highlights an era when mechanical wristwatches were developed to address specific everyday needs, long before electronic reminders became commonplace.

New Calibre 101 Chain Makes Its Debut Alongside the Vintage Collection

Alongside the ten restored watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the new Calibre 101 Chain at the Hong Kong exhibition, introducing a contemporary jewellery watch inspired by the historical Duoplan family. The model combines an 18-carat pink-gold bracelet with diagonal bands of brilliant-cut white diamonds and glossy black Hyceram, creating a sculptural design in which the watch is integrated into the jewellery itself. Its introduction alongside the 1955 Duoplan Chain makes the connection between historical inspiration and contemporary design particularly clear.

At the centre of the new model is Calibre 101, the miniature manually wound mechanical movement introduced in 1929. Its exceptionally small dimensions allow Jaeger-LeCoultre to incorporate a functioning mechanical watch into a bracelet without the proportions normally associated with a wristwatch case. Although the Calibre 101 Chain is a new creation rather than one of the ten restored pieces offered through The Collectibles VII, its presentation forms an important part of the exhibition.

The Hong Kong Exhibition Connects Vintage and Modern Watchmaking

The Hong Kong exhibition was organised around four themes: Duoplan, Reverso, Memovox and Precision. These sections explored different aspects of Jaeger-LeCoultre's history, from compact movements and reversible cases to mechanical alarms and developments in chronometric performance. Alongside the ten vintage watches offered for sale, a separate display featured sixteen timepieces, comprising eight historical examples and eight contemporary interpretations.

The exhibition programme also featured planned demonstrations of restoration techniques by a watchmaker from the manufacture. These covered hand-blueing and pivot polishing, two specialist processes involved in the finishing and servicing of mechanical movements. The demonstrations highlighted the traditional skills required to preserve historical watches, particularly when working with original components and period-appropriate finishing methods.

Two panel discussions were included in the exhibition programme, bringing together international experts and local specialists alongside Matthieu Sauret, Jaeger-LeCoultre's Product and Heritage Director. The discussions focused on watchmaking, collecting and restoration, examining the historical and technical considerations involved in preserving vintage timepieces. By combining restored watches with contemporary models and demonstrations of traditional craftsmanship, the exhibition offered a broader perspective on the manufacturer's heritage.

Jaeger-LeCoultre The Collectibles VII: Availability and Collectors' Interest 

The ten vintage watches from The Collectibles VII were made available for purchase worldwide through Jaeger-LeCoultre's official website on 13 October 2026. They were also offered at the manufacturer's Prince Building Boutique in Hong Kong during the exhibition period. Each restored watch is accompanied by an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a copy of The Collectibles book, providing historical documentation and additional context about the model's place within the manufacturer's history.

The exhibition concluded on 19 October 2026 after a week-long presentation at The Chater House in Central, Hong Kong. Although the event has ended, The Collectibles VII remains relevant to enthusiasts interested in historically significant Jaeger-LeCoultre watches. As the capsule consists of individual vintage timepieces rather than newly manufactured editions, availability depends on whether each restored example has already been purchased.

The collection brings together several important chapters of Jaeger-LeCoultre's watchmaking history, ranging from miniature jewellery watches and early Reverso models to automatic movements, mechanical alarms and sophisticated tourbillons. The combination of manufacturer-led restoration, historical documentation and carefully selected examples distinguishes The Collectibles from conventional vintage watch sales. The seventh capsule also demonstrates how technical ideas developed decades ago continue to influence the manufacturer's contemporary collections.