Jaeger-LeCoultre has unveiled its latest collaboration under the ‘Made of Makers’ programme – three exclusive olfactory signatures created by acclaimed French perfumer Nicolas Bonneville.
The Made of Makers programme draws a parallel between the worlds of horology and art, fostering collaborations with artists, designers, and craftsmen from disciplines outside watchmaking, who share the Maison’s values of creativity, expertise, and precision.
Recognised as one of the most talented perfumers of his generation, Nicolas Bonneville (above) continually breaks new ground with distinctive fragrances that blend traditional and avant-garde techniques, rare essences and age-old natural ingredients. Born and raised in France, he fell in love with perfume during a holiday in Grasse, the cradle of French perfumery, when he was 12 years old. The experience had a profound impact on him: he began to teach himself the art of blending fragrances by designing his own experiments with scent at home, developing his innate gifts and growing skills as a self-taught ‘nose’.
The creation of an olfactory identity for Jaeger-LeCoultre explores the natural affinity between the world of perfumery and that of watchmaking: both art forms are intricate disciplines that share a deep sense of artistry, balance tradition with innovation and rely on precision and detail.
Three Original Fragrances: the Precision of Fine Watchmaking Expressed through Scent
The three olfactory signatures crafted by Nicolas Bonneville for Jaeger-LeCoultre represent the highest practices that distinguish haute perfumery from all other fragrances.
- Short formulas – the use of fewer ingredients allows for a clearer, more refined olfactory profile, in which each raw material plays a crucial role. This minimalist approach highlights the unique characteristics of each ingredient and ensures a harmonious balance. The result is a pure, uncluttered scent that evolves beautifully over time.
- Noble Ingredients – many of them rare and prestigious, these ingredients have been enhanced by modern extraction methods that preserve their properties. Blending tradition and modernity, these fragrances combine age-old raw ingredients from as far afield as Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Philippines, Haiti and South America.
- High Concentrations – the elevated concentration of one key ingredient in each formulation translates the willingness to build balanced nuances around a single, potent scent. This approach provides clarity, ensuring a distinctive and authentic character for each fragrance.
These three factors combine to create olfactory signatures that evolve beautifully through top, heart, and base notes, revealing layers of complexity and depth at each stage.
THE TIMELESS STORIES
This is inspired by the iconic Reverso watch, a legend born from the challenge to create a wristwatch that could withstand the rigours of polo matches. Its woody and leathery character reminisces the redolence of stables and saddles, while its opening note of Violet Leaves evokes the freshness of meticulously trimmed grass on a polo field. The heart of the fragrance is enveloped by the preciousness of Orris, representing the dual nature of the Reverso watch—resilient and durable on the outside, yet refined and delicate on the inside – and finally, it settles into a base of Leather Accord. The Orris rhizome – one of the most noble ingredients in haute perfumery – must dry for almost two years under carefully controlled conditions before it releases its unique scent through natural enzymatic reactions, reflecting the meticulous craftsmanship that defines Jaeger-LeCoultre.
THE CELESTIAL ODYSSEY
This is an ambery and spicy fragrance that pays tribute to the moon, the sun and the stars, the three celestial bodies that have always captivated watchmakers. It opens with the diaphanous, lunar light of Heart of Patchouli. Then, in warm and mineral waves, Amber Woods reinvent the sensuality of Ambergris – a mysterious product of nature born from the depths of the ocean that symbolises the nights when ancient navigators guided their journeys by observing the starry skies. At its base, as sensual and captivating as an incandescent star, Vanilla spreads its solar attraction. The scent of the Vanilla Tahitensis is captured using a high-tech CO2 extraction method called Superfluid Critical Extraction – a waterless extraction achieved by a neutral gas that evaporates at the end of the process, revealing the preserved olfactory properties of the ingredient.
THE PRECISION PIONEER
This is woody and spicy in character, inspired by the heart of the Manufacture. It opens with warm notes of Incense that represent the Maison’s origins through the intense heat of the blacksmith’s fire, where raw materials are transformed into masterpieces of precision. It is then magnified by the powerful scent of Vibrant Wood, evoking the watchmaker’s bench. The distinctive scent of Vibrant Wood is obtained by blending many characteristics of different woods to create a unique wood, tailor-made specifically for this fragrance. Drawing its modernity from a millennia-old tradition, the noble essences of Cedar, Guaiac, and Oud Wood meld into the Amber Accord, serving as a bridge between ancestral craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation.
“With his self-taught talent and artistic vision, Nicolas Bonneville brings an exciting new dimension to the programme, which celebrates the convergence of craftsmanship across many disciplines and cultures. As he continues to explore new territories in the world of fine perfumery, he epitomises the strong affinity that exists between the artistic world and our Maison.”
Matthieu Le Voyer, Chief Marketing Officer, Jaeger-LeCoultre
Destined to become an additional signature of La Grande Maison, the three fragrances crafted by Nicolas Bonneville will be offered as a special treat to clients and will be used in a variety of other initiatives in the future. Initially they will be exclusively offered to clients as a special gift with a watch purchase.
For more information please visit Jaeger-LeCoultre