Alex Trochut wears Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds in Stainless Steel with manual winding. Image Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre, Jaeger-LeCoultre has established itself as a leading name in the world of watch-making. Yet, despite its rich history and cultural heritage, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has a passion for the future.
Through their Made of Makers programme, Jaeger-LeCoultre brings together a community of artists, designers and craftsmen from a variety of disciplines beyond watchmaking. Three principles that have continued to define La Grande Maison – creativity, expertise and precision – are at the core of the programme in a hope to transcend boundaries and provoke dialogue. Each year, new works commissioned through the programme animate the exhibitions that Jaeger-LeCoultre stages around the world, amplifying the chosen theme and creating new opportunities for audiences to engage and to become part of the wider conversation about art, craft and design.
The latest instalment of the Made of Makers programme is in collaboration with Barcelona-born and New York-based typographer Alex Trochut. Like the artisans who construct watch movements and those who decorate the dials and cases, Alex creates emotionally resonant work that combines deep complexity with apparent simplicity. For Jaeger-LeCoultre, Trochut pushed words to the limits to create a boldly contemporary typography for the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds. The design sees letters of the alphabet reimagined in a gold Art-Deco style. For both Trochut and Jaeger-LeCoultre, every letter tells a story.
Images Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
SLEEK: What is your first ever memory of a timepiece?
Alex Trochut: As a kid, I loved to disassemble everything. I remember my grandmother had given me a broken VHS to play and experiment with. Then, at some point, she showed me some broken watches. It was the first time I really saw the intricate machinery within this somewhat ancient technology. Nowadays, there’s a lack of appreciation for the engineering behind such everyday objects.
S: How was your experience of being a part of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Made of Makers programme?
AT: The brief of the Made of Makers programme was way more open than I had initially thought. It was a very collaborative process, where I was opening their mind and they were also opening mine. When I came to them with an idea, they would give it back to me with even more ideas growing from it rather than completely dismantling it. Soon, we came to the idea of the alphabet, which was fascinating for me as a typographer. It was a constant dialogue and conversation between us which made the experience feel so special.
S: Through your work, you explore language as a visual medium, combining elements of pop culture, street culture, fashion and music together. What was your immediate thought when considering a watch as your canvas?
AT: I was very intrigued by the idea. When we came to the concept of the alphabet, I thought it would be really interesting for the watch to be an extension of the alphabet itself, as a kind of physical embodiment of it. We saw it as a of monogram that could be placed behind the watch in a minimalist way. Although I worked with very classic ingredients, the final result feels contemporary. It’s an honour to be a part of this history.
S: You were born in Barcelona and are now based in New York. How do these differing places influence your creativity?
AT: Barcelona has been my school of design. It’s really where I developed professionally. Then, I moved to Brooklyn in New York and I went through the school of life a little more. I was confronted with new situations that you may not always encounter as a local. New York has become this place for me where I am able to connect with new people and experience different cultures.
S: How did New York inspire the direction of the typography for Jaeger-LeCoultre?
AT: I turned to New York’s history for inspiration, and I was soon led to 1920s-1930s New York when Art Deco was a prevalent style. The concept of the alphabet allowed for a unification between Art Deco and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s craft of watchmaking. The letters evoked some sort of mechanism, full of different modular parts that work together to create a whole. I wanted these letters to feel physical and expose their intricate parts equally as functional and decorative, giving the sense of a moving machine. Yet, despite this mechanical element, the watch still feels very elegant.
Images Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
S: What parallels did you notice between your practice as a typographer and the craftsmanship of watchmakers?
AT: I think we’re both obsessed with the little things. I’m obsessed with letters, which are in some way the coxs and wheels of language. Every part of the alphabet has this very modular element to it. Watches measure time, and language needs to express a meaning.
S: Jaeger-LeCoultre was founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre. It’s a brand with a rich history and cultural heritage. With such a history, there is a possibility for their special timepieces to be passed on throughout generations. Is there something special that you have that was passed down to you?
AT: My grandfather was also a typographer. He was born in the 1920s. By the time he was in his 20s, so in the 1940s, he developed a universal typeface that allowed for several compositions. He collected things from constructivism and Bauhaus. He was really at the epicentre of that explosion in the 20th century. Although I wasn’t passed down anything like a watch, I was given his historical sketches where references to Art Deco can be found. In a way, I think his creative genetics were passed down to me. That’s definitely the most precious family heirloom I could ask for.
S: Did this connection to your grandfather influence the design of the typography for Jaeger-LeCoultre?
AT: Definitely. He was really in my mind. I felt like I was connecting emotionally with my grandfather, that he was somehow working with me. Jaeger-LeCoultre is about a history of knowledge that is passed on, and I feel like I experienced this on a familial and personal level throughout the creation of the timepiece.
