Jaeger-LeCoultre partner of the 69th Venice International Film Festival

Movie theatres and watchmaking workshops share a common denominator: they are pervaded by the same hushed silence. These are places where dreams spring to life, where wonder-inducing creations are born. They imply accurate, meticulous and almost obsessional attention to details, as well as great passion. From the film reel that captures emotions to the artisan who immortalises the moment, history is in the making. The fact that Jaeger-LeCoultre has always sensed its affinities with the 7th Art is doubtless because it is all about two worlds infused with creative effervescence and with a longstanding, inspirational tradition. From the Shanghai Film Festival to the Abu Dhabi Film Festival which it has been partnering for the past two years, to the Mostra where it is present for the eight year running, the brand symbolises a way of regarding the watchmaking art as a free and inventive space. Just as in filmmaking, each second bears the imprint of a moment of eternity.

How can one best ensure an intense Mostra experience? From August 29th to September 8th, Jaeger-LeCoultre will be playing a key role in the stellar events: rewarding prizewinners, supporting an operation it holds dear, and adorning celebrities on the red carpet. Since 2005, the brand has consistently displayed the full measure of its attachment to the 7th Art at the Venice International Film Festival, where it hosts journalists, actors and scriptwriters for unique encounters. Once again this year, many of them will enjoy this chance to discover the finest creations highlighting the multiple talents of watchmaking artisans.

Glamour will reach new heights at the opening ceremony of the Venice International Film Festival, where a whole host of beautiful stars will once again grace the red carpet. Many celebrities are expected in the City of the Doges, adorned with the noblest creations from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Among the finest models on show will be two timepieces from the Rendez-Vous collection. Admirably reflecting its ambassadress Diane Kruger, the Rendez-Vous line embodies a free-spirited and spontaneous personality that constantly reinvents itself in order to spring new surprises. For the Venice International Film Festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents two Rendez-Vous Art Haute Joaillerie creations spectacularly paved using the snow-setting technique: one with diamonds and the other with blue sapphires and rubies. The meticulously hand-crafted gem-setting surrounds the models with an incomparably luminous glow.

Since its founding, the Grande Maison has associated mechanical perfection with the most attractive and complex gem-setting techniques. Created thanks to the expertise of exceptional artists, they celebrate an alliance between beauty and precision. The decoration using the snow-setting process is performed directly on the watch case. The gem-setter places the diamonds individually, nestling against each other and harmoniously combining stones of various sizes so as to entirely cover the metal of the watch. Such creative freedom requires considerable know-how and an extremely keen sense of observation.

And to lend an additional touch of charm, Jaeger-LeCoultre designers and Valextra have created the Rendez-Vous clutch bag – a new way of wearing a watch like an indispensable, ultra-trendy accessory.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s participation in the Venice Film Festival takes on a particularly human dimension thanks to its support for Emergency, a humanitarian association founded in 1994, present in over 16 countries and dedicated to helping civilians who are victims of armed conflict and of poverty. Throughout the duration of the festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre will be funding the maternity centre that Emergency has opened in Anabah, Afghanistan. Artists will also make their contribution by wearing Reverso models engraved with a rose – a task specially performed for the occasion by the artisans of the Manufacture. This major project will be celebrated on Thursday August 30th with a dedicated red carpet ceremony at which all guests will wear a rose as a symbol of hope for all children.

The Venice Biennial and Jaeger-LeCoultre are pleased to announce that the famous American director, scriptwriter, actor and producer Spike Lee will be awarded the 2012 Jaeger-LeCoultre “Glory to the Filmmaker” prize at this year’s edition of the Venice International Film Festival. For the past five years, this prize has annually rewarded individuals having made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary cinema: Takeshi Kitano (2007), Abbas Kiarostami (2008), Agnès Varda (2008), Sylvester Stallone (2009), Mani Ratnam (2010) and Al Pacino (2011).

If one were to recall just one image of the festival, it would doubtless be the handing over of the Golden Lion. The worlds of cinema and of fine watchmaking both aspire to create an ongoing relationship with those who support them. What finer distinction could there be for an actor, an actress or a director than to be rewarded for their talent? Jaeger-LeCoultre will be on hand to salute the best actor and actress, as well as the laureates of the best director and best film awards. Each of the winners will be gifted a personalised Reverso bearing a lacquered engraving of the lion that symbolises Venice, crafted by hand in the finest tradition of hand workmanship, along with the inscription “69th Mostra”. An eloquent means of confirming that people must believe in their passion, be bold, and above all never give up on anything. As global epicentres of dreams and challenges, filmmaking and watchmaking both advocate exactly that.

A major player in watchmaking history since 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre is the first Manufacture to have been established in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. It played a pioneering role by uniting the full range of technical and artistic professions under one roof and made an indelible imprint on the watchmaking development of the entire watch industry by creating legendary watches such as the Reverso, the Duoplan, the Master Control, the Memovox Polaris, the Gyrotourbillon, as well as the Atmos clock. Guided by time-honoured know-how and a constant quest for technical enhancements, the master-watchmakers, engineers and technicians craft each watch in harmony with the same passion. Each masterpiece, heir to 179 years of expertise, benefits from cutting-edge technologies while being crafted in harmony with the noblest traditions of the Vallée de Joux. Building on a vast heritage encompassing 1,231 calibres and 398 registered patents, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains the reference in high-end watchmaking.