Another technique is virtuoso the seam invisible

Luis Lopes started his profession of crimper eighteen years in Jaeger-LeCoultre. Swiss watch manufacture is particularly known for having invented, in 1929, the Calibre 101, the smallest ever made mechanical movement. Its watches with complications are run collectors from around the world. The most famous is the Reverso, a mythical model with reversible housing rotates on itself, and shows a custom engraving, enamel, or more luxurious decor, a paving of sapphires and diamonds.

Luis Lopes is today the oldest of the stones of the manufactory, one of the most talented sertisseurs. Nothing predestined yet this Portuguese immigrated from 42 years in this profession that requires extreme precision and fingers of fairy. "I first was a logger." "At 24, I had an accident, I was then offered a crimper training," says Luis with a smile. A bizarre idea which has made its way! Now, it is since its established that he took advantage of the magnificent spruce forests around the lac de Joux. Des small tools have replaced axe and chainsaw: Strawberry, shop and other perloir to work housing crimp. A box reduced to its simplest expression: all gold, without dial setting, but with, carved in metal, bloodletting in which will be housing precious stones. One top, one at the bottom on the Reverso Duetto, for example.

The eyes on his microscope, Luis will raise a shaving of metal with his stall (mini burin) to make room for the stone and the fold on it to keep it. And this, by carefully following the route of the bloodletting. Through perloir kicks (cylindrical steel at the end dug in ideal rod), it will shape each "claw" in a nice grain perfectly round and bright. An ongoing challenge because care must be taken not to damage Sapphire and diamond. "Patience, precision, skill are essential to the crimper qualities," said Luis. The stones must be perfectly aligned. Must not be higher than the other, and all must be positioned according to the same axis so that fires talk and respond on the same tempo. Another technique is virtuoso: the seam invisible.

Tours of secret hand

Special feature of this technique: metal disappears completely in favour of juxtaposed stones which seem to be as by miracle. Railway station at the slightest gap that would ruin the beauty of the work! "Our technique is different from the patented by Van Cleef & Arpels," said Luis, which say no more... Because the seam invisible of Jaeger-LeCoultre is these home secret hand towers transmit of cans in cans. The talent of Luis Lopez takes its dimension with the seam "snow", an exclusive technique of Jaeger-LeCoultre developed by Alain Kirchhof craftsman now retired. Paving that entirely covers the back of the enclosure of the Reverso is composed of stones of eighteen different sizes, ranging from 1.6 mm to 5/10 of a millimeter! For the duty, it is not to ask the larger centre and small around, but to organize as if they had been disposed of carelessly. "There is no plan." Everything is a matter of feeling but ability also to anticipate, as in a chess game. "Only a crimper outstanding can finish the edge of the box straight and work to the thousandth of a millimetre closely so that stones do not bedevil the flipping mechanism. So six weeks of work are necessary to achieve a seam on the Reverso Duetto snow!

BOX .

Birth of the seam mysterious.

It was in 1933 that Van Cleef & Arpels patents his invisible crimping technique named "seam mysterious." This was to eliminate any visible traces of metal of the frame. To do this, the stones are cut with four additional and dragged facets in rails that hold them without the addition of claw. Penetrate the secrecy, to have the curiosity to return the jewel: each stone appears as adjusted in a FishNet gold or Platinum. Ruby and diamond are the preferred for this type of work; the Emerald, very fragile, is a more risky job. PIN double sheet of Holly or Peony in rubies and brilliant valued by the Duchess of Windsor, sapphires cufflinks bracelet worn by Marlene Dietrich... the mysterious seam jewelry made the happiness of the greatest collectors.