On Madison Avenue this week, Jaeger-LeCoultre is opening a chapter of its own history that most collectors have only glimpsed in old catalogues. The Collectibles VIII: ‘LeCoultre’ gathers nine museum-grade timepieces made exclusively for the American market between 1933 and 1981, restored at the Manufacture-Atelier and offered for acquisition worldwide.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Collectibles VIII: ‘LeCoultre’ presents nine museum-grade timepieces made for the American market between 1933 and 1981. They are restored at the Manufacture-Atelier and shown at the New York flagship from November 6 to 20, 2026.
The Collectibles is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house programme for sourcing, restoring, and offering rare mid-century pieces from a curated set of 17 emblematic models. Capsule VIII is the second New York presentation of the programme, timed as a tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, and it focuses on watches that once carried the LeCoultre name alone.
That name mattered. By the late 1920s the Maison already had a presence in the United States under Jaeger, and in 1936 LeCoultre S.H. of America opened its New York office. High import duties shaped how watches crossed the Atlantic: Swiss movements, dials, and hands travelled with corresponding parts, while cases were often made locally and the watches assembled and finished in America. Movements bound for the U.S. market frequently carried 17 jewels, were marked “unadjusted,” and bore the customs code VXN. What began as a tariff workaround became a design language of its own, with gold-filled and 14k gold cases, American proportions, and models that answered local taste.
The nine pieces span every decade of that American chapter. A rare 1933 Reverso with a chocolate-brown dial runs on Caliber 410, the first in-house movement developed specifically for the Reverso, with small seconds at six o’clock. A 1947 Triple Calendar pairs steel with an 18k pink gold bezel and Caliber 494, while the key piece of the capsule is an exceptionally rare circa 1952 Triple Calendar Ref. 2726—the Maison’s first Triple Calendar in a rectangular case, in 18k yellow gold with Caliber 484, launched as a tribute to Jacques-David LeCoultre.
Two Powermatic watches from around 1950–1952 show how the automatic, with its dial-side power reserve on Caliber 481, became a flagship of the decade: one is a Powermatic Nautilus in yellow gold-filled, a nickname used in the 1950s for a lug design that long predates another famous use of the name; the other wears distinctive beetle lugs in 14k yellow gold with the early Powermatic’s black dial and red power-reserve hand.
Later decades arrive as a 1968 Master Mariner Deep Sea Barracuda, a circa 1970 Shark Deep Sea chronograph on Valjoux Caliber 72, a 1972 Memovox Polaris II on Caliber 916, and a circa 1981 Coin Watch that conceals ultra-slim Caliber 839 inside a hollowed-out 18k gold U.S. $10 coin.
Each Collectibles piece is restored by the Manufacture’s dedicated workshop—ten master watchmakers who service movements, rebuild components by hand, and draw on heritage stocks while preserving patina—and is certified to museum-grade standards set by the Maison’s Heritage experts. Buyers receive an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a complimentary copy of The Collectibles book; a new handmade leather strap is fitted except where an original metal bracelet remains, and original boxes, papers, and straps are included when available.
The capsule is on view at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s New York flagship at 701 Madison Avenue from November 6 to 20, 2026, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The timepieces are available for purchase worldwide via jaeger-lecoultre.com from November 6, as well as at the flagship during the presentation. For collectors who care about how Swiss watchmaking met American culture—from jazz and Hollywood to motor racing and the Space Age—this is the Maison turning the archive into a wrist you can actually wear.
Timely FAQs
What is Jaeger-LeCoultre The Collectibles VIII: ‘LeCoultre’?
It is the eighth capsule of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Collectibles programme: nine museum-grade timepieces produced exclusively for the American market between 1933 and 1981, restored in-house and offered for acquisition worldwide.
When and where can you see The Collectibles VIII in New York?
The capsule is presented at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s flagship at 701 Madison Avenue from November 6 to 20, 2026, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Why were some Jaeger-LeCoultre watches signed LeCoultre in the United States?
From the mid-1930s, watches for the U.S. market often carried the LeCoultre name. High import duties led the Maison to ship Swiss movements for local casing and finishing, which helped shape a distinct American design chapter.
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Adrienne Faurote
Editor in Chief · Haute Time
As a former New Yorker, now a “Miamian,” Adrienne Faurote joined Haute Living in August of 2021. She currently serves as the Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief, overseeing all editorial platforms within the Haute Media Group while also maintaining her role as Fashion, Jewelry & Watch Director. Prior to her position at Haute Living, Faurote was the Market Editor at Marie Claire Magazine US, amassing over ten years in the industry, becoming an authoritative voice in all things fashion, jewelry, and watches.
