Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948
Here at Watches and Wonders 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre delights us with a new outstanding watch, the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948, which is an artistic interpretation of the Universal Time.
JLC creates watches that displays several time zones simultaneously back from the ‘30s, but when they introduced the Calibre 948 it was a major step in the watchmaking industry. It has been the first time when a complication like the world-time was been united with a flying tourbillon.
- A fresh take on the world-time problem combines artistic skill and technical mastery.
- The dial is domed, open-worked, and enameled and took 70 hours to make using various techniques from the Manufacture's Métiers Rares atelier.
- The Universal Tourbillon completes a full circle of the dial in 24 hours and spins in 60 seconds.
Every 24 hours, or the length of a typical solar day, the Universal Tourbillon completes a full dial rotation. The automated caliber, a manifestation of Jaeger-LeCoultre's technical prowess, was created, developed, and wholly produced by the Manufacture. The world-time complication's gorgeous new aesthetic representation highlights La Grande Maison's technical skill, artistic originality, and mastery of the decorative arts.
A World of Time on the Dial
The dial has several components as a subtle allusion to the depth and intricacy of time measurement. In keeping with world-timer tradition, it has a map of the globe as seen from the North Pole in the center. Contrary to the conventional flattened depiction, this map hovers above the dial bed on a domed skeleton of Northern Hemisphere longitudes and latitudes. A sheet of white gold has the continents' shapes etched into it and embellished with champlevé enamel by the master artisans of the Manufacture's Métiers Rares (Rare Handcrafts) studio.
Champlevé, which means "raised field" in French, is an elegant and historical method of enameling that dates back over 2,500 years. A depression must first be precisely carved out of the raw metal, adhering to the outline of the desired image, in this case, the forms of the continents as seen from the North Pole, by a skilled craftsperson. The hollow space is then filled several times with enamel, each being fired at extremely high temperatures until it is flush with the original surface. The principal landscape elements of the continents have been painstakingly painted in miniature on the finished enamel surfaces, giving the piece even more sophistication and intrigue.
Enameling a single dome for the new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 takes 55 hours to complete. Each dial, a mere 25.5mm in diameter, is a stunning little work of art that took approximately 70 hours to complete.
The dial bed is a disc of bright blue translucent lacquer painted over a wave-like guilloché design that depicts the sea's motion and the moon's influence on its tides. Underneath is the dial dome, which stands for the oceans. The flying tourbillon spins in 60 seconds and appears to float weightlessly above the crystal-clear waters in a circular aperture to one side of the map.
As with all traditional globe clocks, the names of cities are arranged in a ring around the central dial to represent each time zone. Two concentric fixed rings are positioned outside the city ring: a minute track laser-engraved on a ring of blue lacquer that matches the blue waters and a 24-hour indicator with attached numerals and rectangular indexes. The domed Earth map, along with the Universal Tourbillon and city ring, makes a full 360-degree rotation in 24 hours, simulating the course of the Earth on its axis and displaying the correct time in every city.
The hour marked on the ring next to the city name on the JLC Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 indicates the time in that city's zone, making it very easy to read. The time is set with the crown, synchronizing all time zones worldwide, making it equally simple. When traveling to a new location with the same crown, you can change the local time, which merely shifts the hour hand by one hour in either direction, preserving the accuracy of the minutes and seconds.
The JLC Master Grande Tradition case matches the dial nicely. Its convex bezel contrasts with the lugs' broad bevels, and the hollowed-out lug sides add dynamic tension. The case is made up of more than 80 pieces. Various surfaces are micro-blasted, polished, and satin-brushed to maximize the play of light.
The new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948, which combines art and mechanics, proves Jaeger-LeCoultre's commitment to upholding the delicate balance between a passionate drive for innovation and a profound regard for tradition.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948
Technical specifications:
Reference: Q52834E1 – Limited edition of 20 pieces
Case:
· Material: white gold
· Sapphire case-back
· Diameter: 43mm
· Height: 14.13mm
· Dial: blue translucent lacquer over a wavy guilloche pattern; domed skeleton structure decorated with champlevé enamel
· Water resistance: 50 m (5 bar)
Movement:
· Calibre: Automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948
· Frequency: 28,800 vph
· Functions: hours/minutes, universal flying tourbillon, world-time display (24 time zones), 24-hour indication
· Power reserve: 48 hours
Strap: alligator leather with deployant buckle
The price for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 Ref. Q52834E1 is $227,000 and is a limited edition of 20 pieces.
