Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils its latest collaboration under the Made of Makers programme – the acclaimed French perfumer Nicolas Bonneville created three exclusive olfactory signatures for La Grande Maison.
The ‘Made of Makers’ programme of Jaeger-LeCoultre brings together a community of world-class artists to create profound creative expressions through artistic work, let it be contemporary art, gastronomy or music. At Watches and Wonders 2023 we admired the sweet creations of Pastry Chef Nina Métayer. Last winter the company set up the ‘Winter Garden’, where artworks created by American digital artist Brendi Wedinger were presented. This year the two-Michelin-starred, Dubai-based chef Himanshu Saini presented a new gastronomic experience. The latest collaboration with the French Nicolas Bonneville adds perfumery to the Made of Makers portfolio.
Having a pretty sensitive nose, I developed a very strong affection for scents since my early years. I’ve started to collect fragrances at my teenage years and my father was cool enough to always bring something new – even if in a small size – from his business trips. As an adult I’ve spend more on niche perfumes as I would like to admit, and sometimes I make interesting decisions based on a surrounding odour… I heard first about Nicolas Bonneville many years ago at the Nose boutique in the Montorgueuil neighbourhood in Paris – a concept store of exciting perfumes, cosmetics and home fragrances.
Nicolas Bonneville is a renowned French perfumer working with Firmenich, one of the leading fragrance and flavour companies in the world. He fell in love with perfume during a holiday in Grasse, the cradle of French perfumery, when he was 12 years old. Later, at the beginning of his professional career, he was mentored by the perfumer Jacques Maurel (Galimard Master Parfumeur) and by Francis Kurkdjian.
‘In perfumery, just as in painting, maintaining the purity of blends is essential, – Nicolas Bonneville explains. ‘Similarly, when creating perfumes, it’s crucial to dose raw materials carefully to preserve their unique olfactory character without excessive dilution. The principle of ‘less is more’ ensures that your fragrance retains its clarity and depth; you achieve a unique scent with real character and distinction.’
He created three olfactory signatures for Jaeger-LeCoultre, following a few important principles: short formulas (meaning using fewer ingredients), finding rare and prestigious ingredients in the best available quality and an elevated concentration of one key ingredient in each formula. These allow to compose beautifully evolving scents, through top, heart, and base notes, and ensure a rich sillage (the scent trail that a perfume leaves behind as it evaporates, an olfactive imprint).
Discover below the descriptions of the new Nicolas Bonneville creations by Jaeger-LeCoultre:
THE TIMELESS STORIES is inspired by the iconic Reverso watch, a legend born from the challenge to create a wristwatch that could withstand the rigours of polo matches. Its woody and leathery character reminisces the redolence of stables and saddles, while its opening note of Violet Leaves evokes the freshness of meticulously trimmed grass on a polo field. The heart of the fragrance is enveloped by the preciousness of Orris, representing the dual nature of the Reverso watch—resilient and durable on the outside, yet refined and delicate on the inside – and finally, it settles into a base of Leather Accord. The Orris rhizome – one of the most noble ingredients in haute perfumery – must dry for almost two years under carefully controlled conditions before it releases its unique scent through natural enzymatic reactions, reflecting the meticulous craftsmanship that defines Jaeger-LeCoultre.
THE CELESTIAL ODYSSEY is an ambery and spicy fragrance that pays tribute to the moon, the sun and the stars, the three celestial bodies that have always captivated watchmakers. It opens with the diaphanous, lunar light of Heart of Patchouli. Then, in warm and mineral waves, Amber Woods reinvent the sensuality of Ambergris – a product of nature born from the depths of the ocean that symbolises the nights when ancient navigators guided their journeys by observing the starry skies. At its base, as sensual and captivating as an incandescent star, Vanilla spreads its solar attraction. The scent of the Vanilla Tahitensis is captured using a high-tech CO2 extraction method called Superfluid Critical Extraction – a waterless extraction achieved by a neutral gas that evaporates at the end of the process, revealing the preserved olfactory properties of the ingredient.
THE PRECISION PIONEER is woody and spicy in character, inspired by the heart of the Manufacture. It opens with warm notes of Incense that represent the Maison’s origins through the intense heat of the blacksmith’s fire, where raw materials are transformed into masterpieces of precision. It is then magnified by the powerful scent of Vibrant Wood, evoking the watchmaker’s bench. The distinctive scent of Vibrant Wood is obtained by blending many characteristics of different woods to create a unique wood, tailor-made specifically for this fragrance. Drawing its modernity from a millennia-old tradition, the noble essences of Cedar, Guaiac, and Oud Wood meld into the Amber Accord, serving as a bridge between ancestral craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation.
Photo credits: Jaeger-LeCoultre
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