They say memory is directly linked to one's sense of smell. The intimate connection between how we relate to time and scent is at the core of French perfumer Nicolas Bonneville's new collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre: three new fragrances that distill the Swiss watchmaker's essence.
To honor the collaboration, the latest in the house's "Made Of Makers" series, Bonneville joined CULTURED Beauty Editor, Emily Dougherty, for an intimate conversation at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Madison Avenue flagship last Friday.
Inside the boutique, guests listened in as the perfumer revealed the process behind creating fragrances that embody the watchmaker’s legacy and, as posed by Emily Dougherty, the responsibility behind being "tasked with the biggest challenge: to not just create a work in response to the Maison's ethos, but to help create the olfactory identity of the brand."
As part of the conversation, Nicolas and Emily also delved into his experience considering haute horlogerie ("the art of watchmaking") as an inspiration for three unique scents and the intersection of art and science that lies at the heart of watchmaking and perfumery.
At the root of the series is the "desire to extend the dialogue between horology and art," as described by the Maison's Chief Marketing Officer Matthieu Le Voyer in CULTURED's Winter issue, and nowhere is that clearer than in Bonneville's confections.
After listening in on the conversation, attendees were welcome to test the suite of new perfumes and pair them with Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces. As the holidays beckon, it was clear many knew what to add to their wish list next.
The conversation is just one in many activations Jaeger-LeCoultre devotees can attend as part of the house's Reverso Stories pop-up on view through Dec. 15 at its Hudson Yards outpost.
