There are two sides to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Watches & Wonders novelties this year. On one hand you have their super technical pieces of haute horology in the Master collection and on the other are their artistic renditions of the Reverso. There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get stuck in.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Jumping Date
The calibre 978 at the heart of the Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Jumping Date is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, which is why JLC have presented it in a new execution at 42mm in pink gold with a blue flinqué enamel dial over a barleycorn guilloché. The combination of the dark blue and gold is very distinctive compared to other watches in the Master Grande collection, giving it a cool, modern appearance.
Its display consists of a tourbillon at 6 o’clock, mirrored at 12 o’clock by a rotating 24-hour subdial that can be used as a day/night indicator for local time or set to a second time zone making this a dual time watch. The titular jumping date complication is a peripheral pointer date that has a 90 degree gap between 15 and 16 where it flanks the tourbillon – the jumping mechanism allows the hand to cross this gap as fast as possible to provide an uninterrupted view of the tourbillon if you happen to be looking at the watch around midnight on the 15th.
However, while it’s an interesting combination of functions, the reason JLC want to pay tribute to this calibre on its 20th anniversary is that it won the first modern chronometry competition in 2009 – a revival of the chronometry competitions that were popular in the 19th century. Enduring 45 days of rigorous testing by two independent bodies to come out on top. It’s priced at £126,000 in a 100 piece limited edition.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Mechanica Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Tourbillon
The calibre 362 with its minute repeater and flying tourbillon is presented in a Hybris Mechanica model for the first time, exposing the inner workings of the movement for all to see. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s typical approach to a project like this would be to skeletonise the movement by removing material to reveal more of the mechanism. However, that was not entirely possible with the 362 because its ultra-thin construction means that it is already at its most reduced and removing additional material would seriously impact its structural integrity. The solution was to replace three of the metal bridges that would obstruct your view with sapphire bridges instead.
This updated edition of the 362 with its automatic winding and 42-hour power reserve is housed in a 41.4mm diameter pink gold case. It also earns the name Ultra Thin with its 8.25mm thickness, which is impressive given the tourbillon and minute repeater complications, which are typically some of the tallest in horology because of the verticality of the tourbillon cage and the space required for the chiming mechanism.
I’m not a huge fan of skeleton or openworked displays but I can still appreciate the mechanics that are involved in achieving this level of complexity. JLC are also aware of that complexity which is why it’s a 10-piece limited edition so their watchmakers can continue with other projects. It’s also £670,000.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère
Hybris Inventiva is a new series within the Hybris line. Where the Artistica focusses on presenting haute horological calibres with stunning finishes and fresh visuals, the Inventiva is all about innovation and cutting edge technology. Taking only a single complication and pushing it to the absolute limit.
The Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is a fitting first addition to the series with its patent-pending triple axis tourbillon. It’s tourbillon with the widest range of movement that JLC have ever produced, capable of holding the balance spring in 98% of possible positions. In order to achieve this, the cylindrical balance is held in effectively a troika doll of three tourbillons. The inner cage rotates once per 20 seconds, the middle cage once per 60 seconds and the outer cage once per 90 seconds. Between the three of them they rotate on the X, Y and Z axis.
Aesthetically the tourbillon takes the centre of focus at 6 o’clock surrounded by a 30-second time scale. The hours and minutes are then presented on a flying hour and minute scale above the twin power barrels that supply the 72-hour power reserve. The whole display is finished in blue enamel. It’s housed in a 42mm platinum case and has a price tag of £630,000.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Waterfalls Series
Jaeger-LeCoultre have completed their Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Waterfalls cycle by releasing the final four designs in the eight-artwork A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces series. The first four were released intermittently across 2021 – 2023 and now the collection has reached its natural conclusion.
Each of the watches features a miniature enamel painting of a Hokusai image crafted painstakingly from 14 layers of enamel. Including the Japanese inscriptions present on some of the designs, which are rendered in almost microscopic detail. The paintings are presented on the reverse side of the case, with the primary timekeeping dial featuring a guilloché engraving coated with enamel (a technique known as flinqué) – each of the four versions having a distinct pattern and colour.
The Reverso Tributes measure 45.6mm x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm in their classic rectangular shape and are made from white gold. They’re powered by the manual calibre 822 with 42-hour power reserve. The four versions are limited to 10 pieces each. They are £136,000 on strap or £154,000 on Milanese bracelet.
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La Vallée Des Merveilles Reverso One
Similar to the Hokusai editions but more feminine is the haute jewellery La Vallée Des Merveilles Reverso One series. It’s an artistic ode to Pacific islands showing flora and fauna from Japan and Hawaii, building a bridge across the great ocean. Two of them show a humming bird visiting a hibiscus flower while the third shows a crane with cherry blossom.
They’re much smaller in dimensions, measuring 40mm x 20mm x 9.09mm in pink or white gold. They’re also set with up to 645 diamonds depending on the edition. Inside is the calibre 846 with 50-hour power reserve. They’re £126,000 – £204,000 depending on the expression.
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More details at Jaeger-LeCoultre.
