THE SEAL
HIGH PRECISION GUARANTEE
The High Precision Guarantee seal – HPG – sets a new standard of watchmaking excellence, bringing chronometric performance and aesthetic excellence together under a single certification. HPG certifies each timepiece through demanding criteria for its movement finishes and a rigorous testing protocol that subjects the watch to the changing conditions of daily life. Engraved on the caseback, the HPG seal is the visible mark of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s commitment to precision and craftsmanship.
PRECISION OF FINISHES
A TESTIMONY OF DECORATIVE EXCELLENCE
HPG stands as a quality seal of the Manufacture-Atelier, ensuring not only the chronometric performance of the watches but also the exquisite decorative excellence of their movements. To meet HPG requirements, each calibre must feature at least six of eight traditional finishing techniques, flawlessly applied according to the Manufacture’s exacting standards. From perlage and Côtes de Genève to burnishing, polished screw-heads, circular and linear smoothing, counter-sinking jewels and bevelling, each technique reflects the precision of execution and attention to detail at the heart of the Manufacture’s watchmaking savoir-faire.
PRECISION OF CHRONOMETRY
A TESTING PROTOCOL UNDER DAILY LIFE CONDITIONS
HPG certifies chronometric precision through four tests of a patent-pending dynamic protocol. The first evaluates the calibre under pressure variations reproducing altitudes from sea level to 1,004 metres – the elevation of the Manufacture. Once cased, each watch undergoes the three remaining tests simultaneously in an ultra-innovative machine, combining positions, shocks and temperature – alternating between active phases at 35°C and rest phases at 18°C. Over three days, HPG recreates the equivalent of a full week on the wrist, testing precision through the changing conditions of everyday life.
HISTORY
MASTERING PRECISION AT EVERY STEP
As a Manufacture-Atelier, Jaeger-LeCoultre masters every stage in the creation of its timepieces, from the production of components, finishing and movement assembly to regulation and quality controls. Since 1833, this unique command has driven one enduring ambition: to continually raise its own standards of precision, reliability and craftsmanship. From the Millionomètre in 1844 to landmark chronometric achievements, this pursuit led to the 1,000 Hours Control in 1992. More than three decades later, HPG carries this legacy forward, setting a new proprietary standard of watchmaking excellence.
HPG, A NAME ROOTED IN PRECISION
The name HPG – High Precision Guarantee – is itself part of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s history. It appeared on the Maison’s dials from 1970, notably on watches equipped with the Calibre 916, a 4 Hz movement renowned for its precision. Today, HPG gives this historic name a new dimension. Building on the philosophy of the 1,000 Hours Control, it unites real-world chronometric performance with movement finishing, on each timepiece, within a single proprietary seal.
1,000 HOURS CONTROL: A PIONEERING STANDARD
In 1992, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the 1,000 Hours Control, establishing a pioneering in-house standard at a time when most chronometric certification focused primarily on uncased movements. For six weeks – 1,000 hours – the calibre and the fully cased watch are subjected to a demanding series of controls designed to assess the precision and reliability of the model before leaving the Manufacture. More than three decades later, this philosophy remains fundamental: precision must be tested not only in theory, but on the finished watch and under conditions representative of real life.
