Small, decorative French 18k white gold lever watch Circa 1910

White gold, paste set pocket watch by Edmond Jaeger 
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A small and decorative French 18 carat white gold open faced pocket watch with ornament studded with paste stones, circa 1910. Bridge movement, screwed compensation balance. Silvered dial with Arabic numerals and blued Breguet hands. Paste stone set case, casemaker’s punch mark EJ (Edmond Jaeger).
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Diameter: 28 mm
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Weight: 24 g
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Signed: No name
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In 1903, Paris based watchmaker to the French Navy, Edmond Jaeger, challenged Swiss manufacturers to develop and produce the ultra thin movements that he had invented. Jacques-David LeCoultre, Antoine’s grandson who was responsible for production at LeCoultre & Cie, accepted the challenge, giving rise to a collection of ultra thin pocket watches, including the thinnest in the world in 1907, equipped with the LeCoultre Calibre 145. The same year, French jeweller Cartier, one of Jaeger’s clients, signed a contract with the Parisian watchmaker under which all Jaeger movements for a period of fifteen years would be exclusive to Cartier. The movements were produced by LeCoultre. Edmond Jaeger also acquired the patent for the atmospherically driven clock Atmos from its inventor Jean-Léon Reutter and licensed it to LeCoultre from 1936 for France and in 1937 for Switzerland. The collaboration between Jaeger and LeCoultre led to the company being officially renamed Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1937. Before that, LeCoultre of Switzerland and Jaeger of France also formed a company in England, Ed. Jaeger (London) Limited, in 1921 to make instruments for prestige car manufacturers. In 1927 Jaeger LeCoultre sold 75 per cent of the company to S. Smith & Sons and in 1937 the company name was changed to British Jaeger Instruments Limited. The 1930 Bentley Speed Six also features gauges made by Jaeger and a clock by S. Smith & Sons.