Press Kit

Press Kit - English
Collaboration
Two very different strands of style culture have
intertwined to invent a modern classic. Opening
the year of celebrations around the seventy-fifth
birthday of perhaps the most well-known watch
of all time—the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso—L.A.based ‘cult customiser’ Dr Romanelli has collaborated with the esteemed Swiss watchmakers
Jaeger-LeCoultre to produce two exclusive versions of the timepiece with the famous rotating
case.
Bearing the hallmarks of Dr Romanelli’s ‘street
couture’ design methodology, with his distinctive scissors logo on the dial, these exquisite
watches have been fashioned so that they may
be worn on the cuff of four beautifully hand-finished Dr Romanelli jackets, creating a sophisticated fusion of progressive sportswear and
luxury brand aesthetics.
With an ingenious strap and tag system that allows the watch to be worn in various ways, the
wearer’s personal style is central to the design
collaboration. The technical excellence, lavish
execution and various styling possibilities of the
piece appeal to consumers who are appreciative
of the virtuoso craftsmanship key to the redoubtable Jaeger-LeCoultre legacy and receptive to
the subtle nuances of directional fashion. Available in limited numbers from January 2006 in
selected international stores, the Jaeger-LeCoultre/Dr Romanelli Reverso watch is the musthave investment item for collectors and discerning fashion tastemakers alike.
Dr Romanelli
Darren (Dr) Romanelli occupies a highly-coveted
position in contemporary fashion design. His
longstanding relationship with several key global sportswear and luxury goods brands means
that he can maintain his trademark, artisanal
approach to constructing clothing within context
of the ‘creative collaboration’. Projects with select companies such as Nike, SOPHNET and now
Jaeger-LeCoultre allow Romanelli to his ‘reconstruction’ methodology without relinquishing his
passion for luxury workmanship. The innovative
spirit of such projects meanwhile enable him to
acknowledge the influence of the art and music
cultures that surround his practice, resulting in
exclusive and highly collectable projects that are
simultaneously virtuoso in quality and experimental in nature.
Born in Los Angeles, Romanelli’s highly-recognizable aesthetic evolved out of an interest in ‘bricolage’ that he developed whilst studying at university in Oregon. Plundering the town of Eugene’s
many thrift stores, the designer developed a ‘cut
and paste’ technique for assembling ‘remixed’
vintage garments that subsequently earned him
his ‘Dr’ moniker and couture scissors icon. Having amassed a large collection of Nike Vintage
while attending college, he was approached by
sportswear giant Nike in 2003 to participate in
their ‘Reconstruct’ project, which would be the
first of many collaborations with the company.
Alongside several other L.A. artists, Romanelli
was challenged to create a collection out of the
scraps from the cutting-room floor of the Nike
factory. The result was a distinctive collection of
jackets that fused contemporary techno fabrics
and acid colours with 1970s sportswear silhouettes and elements of classic men’s suiting. The
process of creation is bedrock to Romanelli’s
overarching design concept. Long after the entire collection sold out, ‘before and after’ images
can still be viewed on the Dr Romanelli website:
http://www.drromanelli.com/reconstruct/reconstruct.html
The collaboration with Nike was extremely popular with Romanelli’s international collector-base
and led to numerous collections. Characterised by their colourful, ‘faceted’ appearance,
achieved by a patchwork construction method,
his jacket ranges have also included sweaters
and customised sneakers. They are bought by a
wide range of prestigious international stockists
including: Browns, London; Colette, Paris; Barneys, New York, Beams, Tokyo. The designer’s interests also extend to the music and art worlds.
He used his instinct for contemporary, urban art
to inform a graffiti and guerrilla art campaign in
2001-2 to build the profile of band Ima Robot,
of which he was the manager. This work was
supported by the experience of running his own
personalised media solutions company, Street
Virus, which he founded in 1998. Specialising
in unique media strategies for a burgeoning roster of international clients including Disney, Mattel, Warner Bros and FOX, it was Street Virus’
success that originally encouraged Romanelli to
create the one-of-a-kind, personalised garments
that he began selling to L.A. in 2000 and to formulate the whole ‘Dr Romanelli’ identity.
Last year was perhaps the most creative period
yet for Romanelli. In October 2005, he launched
two collaborations. The first was with the Parisian artist Fafi, to produce a range of customised
jackets decorated with Fafi’s highly-recognisable,
decorative illustrations. These were unveiled to
great fanfare in an installation at the prestigious
Parisian boutique Colette. Romanelli’s second
project of that month was with the New Yorkbased artist and calligrapher José Parlá for Celux. Based around the emotive date of June 13th
(the date of Romanelli and Parlá’s birthdays), the
initiative was a fusion of the designer’s customising process and the artist’s agenda to document urban decay. The project produced a range
of exclusive jackets and accessories that were
unveiled at the membership-only Celux boutique
in Tokyo and also showcased at the Basel Art
Fair in Miami in December 2005. A key product
was the bags, based on the cult handbags created by Argentinian duo Francisco and Patricio
Mondet.
This experience of working with skilled craftsmen
is one Romanelli has been enjoying throughout
the past year, during which time he has been
working with the design team at the esteemed
Swiss watch film Jaeger-LeCoultre at Le Sentier
under the brand’s renowned Creative Director,
Janek Deleskiewicz. Inspired by the company’s
cult product the Reverso—a luxury timepiece
that was originally worn on the wrists of British polo players in India in the early 1930s—
Romanelli has worked with the team to devise
two striking new versions that incorporate the
L.A. designer’s aesthetic. The timepieces themselves bear his trademark, the couture scissors
motif across the dial and are fashioned so that
they may be attached to a luxury version of a Dr
Romanelli jacket designed to reflect the values
of the Jaeger-LeCoultre legacy. The Jaeger-LeCoultre watch and Romanelli jacket combination are being launched early in 2006 to open
the year of celebration of the Reverso line legacy
and bright future.. The designer believes that it
is the shared approach to design between the
L.A. designer and Swiss company that makes
the collaboration so successful: “When I first visited the factory and saw all those men in white
coats reinvigorating vintage, dilapidated clocks,
I thought ‘that’s just what I do with my jackets!’
Just as they are ‘doctors of clocks’, I am a ‘doctor of cloth’.”
Jaeger-LeCoultre
The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the
few remaining Swiss companies able to produce
a timepiece entirely designed and produced within in its own workshops. Esteemed for its virtuoso, hand-finished production and stylish design,
Jaeger-LeCoultre represents a horological benchmark for other watch-making companies.
Founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre in the village of Le Sentier in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, the company capitalised upon early inventions of the millionometer (that could measure
time to a single micron) and the crown winding
system (which removed the need for a winding
key) to build a business that flourished throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century.
David LeCoultre, grandson of Antoine, merged
the company with Jaeger, suppliers of watch
movements to many illustrious watch companies, in 1925, creating the name they trade under today. 1931 was perhaps Jaeger-LeCoultre’s
most momentous year, however, with the launch
of their groundbreaking product, the Reverso
watch. Said to have been designed for British
polo players in India, who had the annoying habit
of cracking their watch crystals during play, the
timepiece was designed so that the movement
could twist up to 180˚ away from pressure, protecting the crystal and dial.
Unfortunately for the company at the time, the
launch of the Reverso watch coincided with the
economic downturn leading up to the depression, coupled with a growing vogue for waterproof watches. The model fell out of favour until
designer Giorgio Corvo found a number of rectangular Reverso cases lying in a drawer in the factory and decided to revive the watch. The piece
is now regarded as one of the most important
watch designs of all time and represents one of
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most significant collections
in terms of turnover.
Jaeger-LeCoultre operates out of its Manufacture in Le Sentier, in the original building set up
by Antoine. Over the 173 years the company has
been in business, during which time Jaeger-Le-
Coutre has created over 1000 movements and
filed over 100 patents, the commitment to excellence has remained paramount. Their many outstanding achievements range from Calibre 101,
the world’s smallest mechanical movement, to
the most ingenious innovations including tourbillons, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters and
chronographs.
With more than 40 different areas of expertise,
the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre brings together under one roof those who have adopted the
credo: ‘Far more important than any man-made
instruments, our eyes, hands and heart remain
our most precious tools’.
Jaeger-LeCoultre, a leading reference in the
world of fine watchmaking, Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, since 1833.
The Campaign
A programme of interpretative installations and
online, interactive media has been devised to
showcase the new Jaeger-LeCoultre/Dr Romanelli collaboration.
Window Installations
Drawing on the 173 year Jaeger-LeCoultre legacy
and the artisanal working methodology of Dr Romanelli, an installation concept has been developed to depict the Dr Romanelli workspace as
if set in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Windows of exclusive boutiques will be dressed to
look like the corner of a successful craftsman’s
studio from the 1890s, housing all the tools and
props of the period.
Though the overall appearance will be of a heavily worn workspace that evokes a bygone era
of hand-worked creativity, there will also be evidence of luxury materials and attention given to
architectural detail. The mise-en-scène will suggest the recent completion of a quality product:
a rough wooden table might feature a leather
work space at its centre, for instance, to evoke
the classic pairing of the Reverso model with its
fine leather watch caddy.
Among the vintage props will be a magnifying
glass, which will focus attention on the watch at
the centre of the magical installation. Glancing
upon the display, passers by will be given to believe that they have been given privileged access
to a private workshop or an exclusive museum
display devoted to a legendary watch-maker.
These installations will be in situ at the JaegerLeCoultre Boutiques in Paris, London and Hong
Kong and at the following stores, where the
Jaeger-LeCoultre watches and Dr Romanelli jackets will also be stocked:
Isetan, Tokyo
Joyce, Hong Kong Maxfields, Los Angeles
Colette, Paris Browns, London 5-24 Jan. 2006
from 13 Jan. 2006
from mid-Jan. 2006
15-22 Jan. 2006
Feb. 2006
Online Media
All news throughout the launch campaign and
press clippings will be updated on the Jaeger-LeCoultre/Dr Romanelli interactive website, which
can be accessed at:
http://www.ReversoRomanelli.com
Products
Limited Edition Men’s Reverso Grande Réserve
The stylish and powerful Grande Reverso Grande
Réserve model integrates the technical innovation associated with Jaeger-LeCoultre and the
contemporary design flourishes brought to it by
Dr Romanelli’s ‘customising’ design outlook.
The watch boasts a calibre 874 mechanical
movement, lending it eight days’ power reserve,
whilst the elegant black and dark grey guilloché
dial gives it a distinguished, bold appearance.
A special engraving on the case-back of Dr Romanelli’s distinctive couture scissors motif asserts the piece as a must-have fashion item.
This new version of the Reverso watch also suggests a variety of ways of wearing the watch. It
comes with a special adaptation bridge with a
broad strap in soft lamb’s leather that can be
strapped around the cuff of the Dr Romanelli
jacket. In addition, the watch head may also be
removed altogether and replaced with a steel tag
for a more edgy, ‘street-style’ statement. The
bridge is also removable so that the watch can
be worn with a more classic strap if desired.
Technical Description
Movement: Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 874, mechanical movement, 8 days power
reserve, crafted and decorated by hand, 25 jewels, 210 parts
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small seconds, 8
days power reserve indicator
Function Adjustment: 1 crown for setting hours
and minutes
Dial: Black guilloché, dark grey minute scale,
with an interpretation of couture scissors in
transferred decoration
Hands: Polished baton steel hands
Case: Reversible, Grande Reverso size, patented power-reserve indicator on the back. Special
easily-removable adaptation bridge allowing the
watch to be mounted on either a standard strap
or broad cuff size strap
Engraving: Special engraving on the back, referring to Dr Romanelli’s scissors
Material: Stainless steel
Strap: Broad cuff size strap in soft lambs leather
in colours matching Dr Romanelli’s jackets
Limited Series: Limited series of 50 pieces,
numbered on the Reverso watch carrier
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Limited Edition Women’s Reverso Grande Taille
The elegant and modern Reverso Grande Taille
model integrates the technical innovation associated with Jaeger-LeCoultre and the contemporary
design flourishes brought to it by Dr Romanelli’s
‘customising’ design outlook. Fashioned in stainless steel, with an attractive black and white
guilloché dial, the piece boasts no less than 45
hours’ power reserve. A special engraving on the
case-back of Dr Romanelli’s distinctive couture
scissors motif asserts the piece as a must-have
fashion item.
This new version of the Reverso model also suggests a variety of ways of wearing the watch. It
comes with a special adaptation bridge with a
broad strap in soft lamb’s leather that can be
strapped around the cuff of the Dr Romanelli
jacket. In addition, the watch head may also be
removed altogether and replaced with a steel
tag for a more edgy, ‘street-style’ statement. The
clasp is also removable so that the watch can be
worn with a more classic strap if desired.
Technical Description
Movement: Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 822, mechanical movement, crafted and
decorated by hand, 21 jewels, 134 parts
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small seconds
Function Adjustment: 1 crown for setting hours
and minutes
Dial: Black and white guilloché, dark grey minute
scale, with an interpretation of couture scissors
in transferred decoration
Hands: Polished baton steel hands
Case: Reversible, Grande Taille size, special
easily-removable adaptation bridge allowing the
watch to be mounted on either a standard strap
or broad cuff size strap
Engraving: Special engraving on the back, referring to Dr Romanelli’s scissors
Material: Stainless steel
Strap: Broad cuff size strap in soft lambs leather in colours matching Dr Romanelli’s jackets
Limited Series: Limited series of 50 pieces,
numbered on the Reverso watch carrier
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Dr Romanelli Jackets
Four jackets - two men’s and two women’s - have
been designed by Dr Romanelli to reflect the spirit of the Jaeger-LeCoultre/Dr Romanelli collaboration and the aesthetic of the Reverso watches
produced. The jackets are all handmade in Los
Angeles.
Only the finest lamb’s leather, RiRi® * zippers
and knitted ribbing are used. The jackets’ custom Dr Romanelli labels are inspired by the original Reverso watch and each garment comes with
a ‘prescription’ swing-tag which is signed and
dated by the Doctor himself; a virtual prescription for the must-have item of the season.
*Jaeger-LeCoultre/Dr.Romanelli are not the owners of the trademark RiRi®
Stores
The Jaeger-LeCoultre special edition watch and
the Dr Romanelli leather jackets, fruit of their collaboration and will be available in Los Angeles
from mid-December 2005 for a limited period.
They will then be launched from January 2006
onwards at the following Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutiques and authorised retailers in Tokyo, Paris,
London, Hong Kong and Los Angeles:
In Los Angeles at Maxfield’s
8825 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90069-5603
USA
Tel (310) 274 8800
In Tokyo at Isetan
14-1 Shinjuku 3-Chome
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Japan
www.isetan.co.jp
Tel +03 3352 1111
In Paris at Colette
Colette 213 Rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
France
www.colette.fr
Tel +33 (0) 42 86 91 03
at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutique
7 Place Vendôme
Paris 75001
France
Tel +33 (0) 1 53 45 70 00
In London at Browns
26-27 South Molton Street
London W1K 5RD
England
www.brownsfashion.com
Tel +44 (0) 207 514 0025
at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutique
1A Old Bond Street · London W1s 4PA
England
Tel +44 (0) 207 491 6970
In Hong Kong at Joyce
334, Pacific Place Admiralty
Hong Kong
www.joyce.com
Tel +852 2523 5944
at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Boutique
Pacific Place, Shop 321 - Level 3
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
Tel +852 2918 4388