Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Fourth ‘Collectibles’ Capsule Honors 100 Years of the Duoplan

In the world of vintage watch collecting, provenance matters. Craftsmanship matters. And sometimes, what matters most is the emotion behind a piece — how it represents not only a chapter in horological history but a moment in culture. With its latest Collectibles capsule, Jaeger-LeCoultre offers all of the above in one elegant sweep.

As part of its Collectibles program, wherein the brand restores vintage pieces for sale, the newest  and fourth capsule collection features 10 rare and museum-worthy watches, each one carefully selected, authenticated, and restored by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house team. These aren’t just beautiful vintage pieces — they are milestones, each with a compelling story. From the gem-set glamour of the Art Deco era to the sculptural sophistication of the postwar years, this capsule reveals just how daring and diverse the Duoplan family has been.

The collection is on exhibit currently and through July 27^th at the Maison’s Place Vendôme boutique in Paris to celebrate  the 100th anniversary of the Duoplan watch with its miniature movement that was a revolution in time and that has reigned supreme as a leader in mechanical watchmaking.

 What made the original Duoplan movement such a breakthrough? Invented by LeCoultre in 1925, the Duoplan was a mechanical movement designed to solve a frustrating challenge: how to make wristwatches smaller and more elegant—particularly for women—without sacrificing timekeeping performance. The name “Duoplan” comes from its two-level architecture: instead of stacking components vertically like a traditional movement, the Duoplan spread them out horizontally across two planes. This allowed the use of larger components (especially the balance wheel and mainspring) in a much smaller case.

This clever design not only preserved chronometric performance in a miniaturized form but also opened the door to bold, new case styles. Watchmakers were no longer restricted by movement size and layout, so the form factor of wristwatches began to evolve—from ultra-slim rectangles to creatively shaped secret watches, bracelet watches, and more.

And, yes, the same movement architecture is what defines the watches in this fourth capsule of The Collectibles. Each of the 10 vintage timepieces in the new collection is powered by a Duoplan movement, whether it’s an early version from the 1920s or a later evolution, such as the famous Caliber 101—introduced in 1929 and still the smallest mechanical movement ever made and still in production today.

Among the standout pieces in the new capsule collection:  Duoplan Art Deco, a cocktail watch that practically defines the term with its rectangular case and crisp geometric lines —  a wearable artifact of 1920s. Another standout in this capsule is the Duoplan Chaine from circa 1941 — a rich yellow gold piece that turns the bracelet itself into a design statement. A few years later came the Tubogas, circa 1950, a secret watch in 18-karat gold with distinctive architectural ribs and a touch of playfulness. Lift the cover, and time reveals itself discreetly — a watch as jewelry, and vice versa.

Among the rarest pieces is a Duoplan Tuile, from 1939, its name referring to the curved roof tiles it resembles. This model breaks from convention with a horizontally mounted rectangular dial — set at a right angle to the wrist for easy reading. And let’s not forget the Duoplan Driver, whose angled case allowed motorists to check the time without taking their hands off the wheel. If function ever met form in a perfectly vintage way, this is it.

Each watch in the collection is paired with an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a copy of The Collectibles — a definitive coffee-table book that dives deep into 17 of the brand’s most iconic models, from the Reverso and Memovox to the Duoplan and beyond. The book isn’t just a celebration of technical milestones; it’s a resource for collectors, packed with historical insights, movement data, case details, and design evolution across the decades.

As with past capsules, every watch has been gently restored. Originality is preserved wherever possible, from dials to movements, with careful attention to authenticity. And thanks to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s vast internal archive (and a workshop of dedicated restoration experts), even rare missing parts can be recreated in-house.