Jaeger-LeCoultre’s New Colognes Aren’t for Sale. Here’s How to Get Your Hands on Them.
Before you accuse Jaeger-LeCoultre of churning out fragrances to pad the P&L—the way so many luxury houses seem to be doing lately—you should know that its new scents aren’t for sale.
The Swiss watchmaker’s recently released trio of alluring eaux de parfum was conceived via its Made of Makers program, wherein artisans reimagine the maison’s unique aura as handcrafted goods, visual arts, or even food and drink. In this case, the initial idea (to conjure an olfactory identity for its boutiques and special events) evolved into something more significant.
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“When we create our experiences, we try to mix all five senses to make sure that we offer something holistic enough to leave a deep, emotional footprint,” says Matthieu Le Voyer, the brand’s chief marketing officer. “We knew that smell was the most powerful one, but also the trickiest one to develop.”
Accordingly, he spent a year interviewing perfumers before hiring Nicolas Bonneville, the accomplished nose behind scents for Givenchy, Acqua di Parma, and Dries Van Noten. Following the less-is-more logic of movement makers, the finished fragrances are minimalist concoctions short on ingredients but long on quality. The Celestial Odyssey (a feminine-leaning blend of patchouli, amber, and vanilla) pays homage to the many Jaeger-LeCoultre references inspired by heavenly bodies. The Precision Pioneer deploys wood and spice for a warming take on the blacksmith’s forge and the watchmaker’s bench. The Timeless Stories, with its masculine leather accord and violet-leaf note, represents the Reverso, the house’s beloved polo-inspired watch.
Because profit wasn’t a concern, Bonneville had carte blanche to use even the costliest ingredients. Take the orris, or iris root bulbs, in the Timeless Stories. “Orris is the most expensive raw material in my palette,” he says. “It was the first time I could use it in such a high percentage.”
So who can get their hands on the scents? One Robb Report staffer who had her Reverso serviced in December was given a 10-milliliter container of the Celestial Odyssey. Similar vials will be offered as keepsakes after some of the brand’s events. But the full-size bottles, Le Voyer concedes, are “rewards for our best clients.” Which gives a brand-new meaning to “passing the smell test.”
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