In Partnership – Gatherings: UBS House of Craft Honors Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Timeless Legacy
The latest installment in the UBS House of Craft series featured an exclusive preview of the 1931 Polo Club Traveling Collection and conversation with Jaeger-LeCoultre Americas President Anne-Laure Ritter, and Hodinkee Editor Rich Fordon. UBS House of Craft is a global initiative celebrating excellence in craft across diverse disciplines. Designed as a platform for dialogue and discovery, UBS House of Craft invites guests to engage with true masters of craft through intimate events, with the goal of fostering meaningful exchanges.
Whether you call it craftsmanship or savoir-faire, watchmaking at its highest level relies on a wide array of rare skills and handcrafts that are honed over years and passed down through generations. That’s what made Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Beverly Hills Boutique, which is now home to a curated selection of novelties and rare heritage timepieces from the august Swiss brand, the perfect location for the latest edition of UBS House of Craft. This installment of UBS House of Craft brought together Anne-Laure Ritter, President of Jaeger-LeCoultre Americas, Hodinkee editor Rich Fordon, and a select group of UBS guests and Hodinkee community members for an evening of creativity, craftsmanship, and spectacular watches.
The Beverly Hills Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique on Rodeo Drive is always a good place to see beautiful examples of haute horlogerie, but thanks to the recent arrival of the 1931 Polo Club Traveling Collection, there was more to admire than usual. Guests sipped cocktails and perused the latest volume of Hodinkee magazine while discovering this traveling exhibit of Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso timepieces, which included both rare archival pieces and the brand’s latest novelties from Watches & Wonders Geneva. From its origins on the polo pitches of the 1930s to its latter-day status among the icons of modern watchmaking, the exhibit explores the Reverso’s fascinating evolution over the last century. A Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmaker was also on hand to offer technical insights into spectacular modern creations like the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater and Reverso Tribute Geographic.
After having an opportunity to experience these pieces in the metal, guests were treated to a wide-ranging conversation between Ritter and Fordon. Among the many topics discussed were the legacy of the Reverso as the world’s first sports watch and the skilled crafts that go into creating novelties like the Reverso Tribute Nonantieme ‘Enamel’ and the Reverso One Precious Flowers. In keeping with the theme of the UBS House of Craft, Ritter had much to say on the topic of creativity and craft, detailing the brand’s emphasis on artistic crafts through its Atelier des Métiers Rares, as well as its ongoing efforts to share this know-how through the Atelier d’Antoine series of watchmaking classes. As one of Switzerland’s most respected manufactures, with over 1,400 calibres, 430 patents, and nearly 200 years of heritage to its name, these examples left little doubt about Jaeger-LeCoultre’s longstanding commitment to traditional savoir-faire.
For those looking to take their interest in watches to the next level with a hands-on watchmaking experience, invitations to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s masterclasses with their in-house watchmaker were extended to guests. From seasoned collectors to those just beginning their journey in the world of fine watchmaking, there was much to discover at this edition of UBS House of Craft. In addition to providing expert insights and historical details, it demonstrated the ways in which traditional craftsmanship is essential to creating something truly timeless.
Hodinkee