How they were victorious in the air and on the racetrack! The birth story of Jaeger and LeCoultre’s incredible partnership

Jaeger Automotive Instruments

At the beginning of World War I (The Great War), a French businessman by the name of Edmond Jaeger collaborated with a popular swiss watchmaker, Jacques-David LeCoultre, in order to develop onboard instruments intended for the aviation sector.

This venture between Jaeger and LeCoultre led to all the major air forces of the Allied Powers (France, England and the United States) equipping their planes with the speedometers and tachometers from Jaeger and Le Coultre. So great were their instruments that the Germans made a great effort to retrieve Jaeger and LeCoultre’s instruments from drowned English and French planes in order to equip their own planes with their instruments

The duo had built a reputation of great quality and reliability and in 1920, post The Great War, they decided to extend their expertise to producing instruments for the automobile industry.
In 1922, Count Zborowski, the infamous automobile racer and financier of the legendary Aston Martin’s ancestor, Bamford & Martin racing team, insisted that his own racing car, which he shall compete with in the Grand Prix de France, should be equipped with the duo’s instruments.  Quickly Jaeger and LeCoultre’s new foray reached great heights and they created an unparalleled name for themselves in this sphere. By the mid 1920s, they “became the prevalent supplier to the most prestigious car companies, including virtually all racing cars as 95% of car races were won by cars equipped with Jaeger counters.” 

A 1935, 1.5 Litre, Aston Martin LWB MKII Tourer equipped with Jaeger instruments

Their instruments went on to also be equipped in the dashboards of some of the most famous cars produced by great car manufactures such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Their instruments were also equipped in rare cars such as the 1957 Ferrari 335 S Scalglietti Spider and the 1952 Ferrari Mexico Vignale Berlinetta.

1957 Ferrari 335 S Scalglietti Spider

1952 Ferrari Mexico Vignale Berlinetta - Rare 1/4 Race Car - Worth over $4 million.

This collaboration laid the foundation of the brand we know and love today, as it eventually led to their 1937 merger, establishing Jaeger-LeCoultre, one of the greatest watch manufacturers in the history of watchmaking.