Have you ever wondered what a watch smells like? Perhaps not. Well, now you can thanks to Swiss watchmaker, Jaeger-LeCoultre. There’s a sensory feeling behind a watch that goes beyond the touch on the wrist, the gentle hum as it powers to life, the view of it in your hands. Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Made of Makers programme, drawing parallels between the worlds of horology and art, the Maison has partnered up with the leading parfumer, Nicolas Bonneville.

Through the unique collaboration, the scent artist has reimagined the identity of the iconic watch brand by creating an olfactory experience with three scents on offer. Pushing the boundaries of how a watch is communicated, and furthermore our experience of time, Bonneville treads new ground with a blend of traditional and avant-garde techniques. Governed by three pillars – short formulas meaning fewer ingredients for a refined profile, rare ingredients and high concentrations that achieve a potent scent – the partnership showcases the unity in worlds that are motivated by the challenge of artisanal craftsmanship.

As much as a watch serves a function, it inhabits an emotional role. Much is the same for perfume. Of course we all attach ourselves to a scent in the interest of smelling good, but we choose these scents purposefully as external reflections of our identity. Echoing this notion, the three scents include: The Timeless Stories, inspired by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s iconic Reverso watch (the one that twists in an illusory manner), the Celestial Odyssey that pays tribute to the astronomical relationship between watchmaking and the stars, and The Precision Pioneer, inspired by the home of the Maison’s manufacture.

These tailored fragrances, offered to clients of the Maison, confirm the influence of watchmaking beyond its own discipline, a means to communicate the emotional instincts of an object beyond function. Discover more about the exceptional approach to storytelling with the renowned perfumer, Bonneville below.

Nicolas Bonneville: One of my colleagues told me that we had been approached by Jaeger-LeCoultre for a project that was unusual in two ways: it was not commercial in the sense of being sold in perfumeries and it was about exploring the heritage, legacy and spirit of the Maison and expressing it through three perfumes. I have always been fascinated by watchmaking savoir-faire and am very happy when I can explore new fields, so it began as a challenge – a new experience and a new way of creating perfume from a different starting point.

Wonderland: Have you ever owned a watch, and if so, is it something you have attached emotions to?

NB: My brother is a jeweller and gemologist and we share a love of beautiful things. I love the universe of watchmaking with its constant research for innovation, for new ways to express complications, yet working within strict constraints. That spirit of permanent challenge, the race to innovation and the savoir-faire co-exist in very few other worlds – maybe only in F1 and aerospace. Watches also express my relationship with the ephemeral – perfumery is a play between time and matter. I feel very aware of the passage of time and wearing time on my wrist creates an urgency to express things. For me, the value of time, both personally and professionally, is a mix between nostalgia and the urgency to capture time before it passes. There is so much that I want to do and time is always a constraint.

After your first visit to the manufacturer, what did the scent look like in your mind? Was it obvious from the get go what you wanted to use?
Before the visit of the Manufacturer, Jaeger-LeCoultre sent me an outline of the direction they wanted, I was so excited that I immediately started to work alone, based on my own perception of the Maison. I began with the idea of the Reverso and its link to polo, horses – things that were, in a way, very classical. But when you look at the watch collection, it’s a mix of classical and very modern in style, as well as technically avant-garde – which is epitomised by the Reverso Chronograph. To express that mix of tradition and modernity I worked on an iris and leather accord.

There are a lot of parallels between the savoir-faire of Jaeger-LeCoultre and the savoir-faire in perfumery, so I also worked on the ideas of precision and know-how. I used classic ingredients that involve a lot of savoir-faire, such as orris, and matched that with new biotechnology-based extraction processes to bring a lot of modernity. Orris is very interesting because we use the iris rhizome, not the flowers. It’s one of the most expensive raw materials in perfumery; the rhizomes must be two years old then dried for two years. As they dry, a natural enzymatic process begins to release their scent.

The leathery part was a nod to the polo horses and the smell of the saddle when you take it off the horse – it’s warm and very sensual. It’s not old-school leather because for me Jaeger-LeCoultre is not an old house; it has great history and is also really modern. It was funny when I received the direction from Jaeger-LeCoultre because what they asked for was exactly what I was trying to create.

In two ways: by using new and exclusive raw materials as well as very noble, traditional materials and to use them in high percentages – like an overdose. That way, I could design something very different because I’m using beautiful raw materials in a way that hasn’t been done before, and using new extraction processes that require absolute precision.

How long did it take you to craft the three fragrances?
In a way, they are linked by the woodiness, the sensuality and the way that I build them to create their shape and signature, with a powerful silage or trail – which is something that Jaeger-LeCoultre particularly wanted.

When I began this project, I had just received a new software tool for formulation that gives you a visualisation of your perfume in both time and space. So, I could see which molecule or ingredient can be detected at, say, two or three metres distance one hour after applying the perfume, two hours after, and so on. If you have too many ingredients at the same time and in the same space, your message becomes confused. That’s also why the three perfumes have very short formulas. With the overdose of beautiful ingredients I created perfumes with a lot of facets and could focus on the trails and on the message that the perfume would express as time passes.

What have you learnt about Jaeger-LeCoultre’s approach to watchmaking and horology more generally from this collaboration that you didn’t know before?
There are parallels between horology and in my work, in the way that I created these three perfumes. Because I used high percentages of the most exclusive and modern raw materials – as is often done in Haute Horlogerie, especially in the areas of high innovation. The other parallel is that this project is a strong expression of precision and savoir-faire, which are central to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s approach to watchmaking.

How do you think this collaboration has strengthened your vision as an artist?
Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the strongest Maisons in the number of patents it holds but, outside the watchmaking industry, nobody knows that because the Maison doesn’t make a lot of noise. I like this modesty because many brands make a lot of noise for much less.

I realised that, with Jaeger-LeCoultre it’s a different way of thinking – and that creates a different relationship with your watch when you have it on your wrist. The watch represents a quiet kind of confidence and connoisseurship; it’s not about showing off your achievements or status.