The Gentleman Magazine Issue 15 | June 2019 | Page 7

possible impact and the least interference from hammer recoil.
These set the stage for the meticulously engineered acoustic
profile of the Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes
Perpétuelle chime.
The lower-pitched gong takes a helical path from gong heel to
tip. Though irregular in shape, its unidirectional flow allows it
to vibrate in a way that creates the harmonic overtones giving
fullness and balance to bass notes.
The higher-pitched gong switches direction, effectively folding
back on itself like the tines of a tuning fork. This configuration
emphasises the fundamental vibration of the gong, producing
a purer tone that imparts the clarity and brilliance prized in
treble notes.
This new optimised combination of chime volume and
acoustic quality marks out new territory for Jaeger-LeCoultre
in sonnerie watches, an expansion that is fully supported by the
other customer-centric aspects of the Master Grande Tradition
Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle.
Focus on the wearer
Perpetual calendars are among the most practical and useful
mechanical complications that can be incorporated into
a timepiece. Their ability to display the correct calendar
information, taking into consideration the varying lengths of
the months — even during leap years — provides everyday
convenience for the wearer, especially when combined with an
automatic winding system for low-maintenance upkeep when
worn regularly.
Traditional-style perpetual calendars are mostly hand-wound,
as the prestige of a high complication generally demands
that the finely finished movement should be fully visible for
admiration. Automatic minute repeaters are even rarer, with
occasional exceptions such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master
Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon and the Jaeger-
LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy Minute Repeater.
The winding rotor of the calibre 950 is hidden within the
movement, positioned between the perpetual calendar and
minute repeater mechanisms, in order to a have full view on
the mechanism at the back of the watch. The Master Grande
Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle is thus continuously
supplied with energy without the need to obscure a single
finely finished component, whether chamfered, satin-finished,
decorated with côtes de Genève, or any combination of the
above.
Another feature of the watch that puts the needs of the wearer
foremost is the intuitive Security zone that appears in a dial
aperture near the axis of the hour and minute hands. This
indication appears between the hours of 10pm and 1am,
when adjusting the time or calendar is not advised due to the
possibility of stressing or even damaging the movement. This
reminder takes the onus off the wearer to remember when the
time and calendar indications can be adjusted.
Despite the multiple complications and the automatic winding
system, all of which are known to add bulk to a timepiece,
the Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle
is highly compact, with a diameter of 43mm and a height of
13.72mm.
Design evolution
The Master Grande Tradition collection has always been
a platform for high watchmaking at Jaeger-LeCoultre,
emphasising classic design in order to let the sophisticated
mechanisms take centre stage. In the Master Grande Tradition
Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle, Jaeger-LeCoultre recalibrates
the balance of technical prowess against aesthetic refinement
to arrive at a new equilibrium of power and beauty.
A new case, comprising more than 80 separate hand-finished
parts, was created for the Master Grande Tradition Répétition
Minutes Perpétuelle. Particular attention was paid to the
ergonomics of the case, from the deeply convex bezel and
broad bevels on the lugs to the smoothly tapered minute
repeater slide.
Parts are alternately polished, satin-finished or sandblasted,
the latter being highly challenging to execute on the exterior
segments of a watch. The extremely porous surface of a
sandblasted component causes it to easily pick up oils from
even the slightest contact with human skin, leaving a mark that
can be seen as unsightly (though easily removed) blemish. In
its finishing and Métiers Rares ateliers, Jaeger-LeCoultre has
perfected the technique of applying a sandblasted finish that is
resistant to such oil transfer.
The Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle
comes in two dial variations, a neoclassical silver-grained
dial and a deep blue translucent guilloche enamel dial that is
produced by hand in the Atelier des Métiers Rares.
A dial of solid white gold is first decorated with guillochage
on century-old rose engines, each round of guilloché work
repeated several times in order to achieve the correct depth of
engraving. The perpetual calendar counters are then precision
laser-welded onto the dial, before the remaining spaces are
filled with translucent enamel in another multi-stage process.
The enamel is then polished, resulting in the final dial of
shimmering vitreous blue that changes in hue with the light
and angle.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Répétition
Minutes Perpétuelle is the result of 149 years of experience
in sonnerie timepieces, combined with an unparalleled
patrimony in mechanical innovation and the most exalted
levels of miniature decorative arts. With this latest masterpiece,
La Grande Maison du Sentier recommits itself to furthering
the frontiers of 21st-century watchmaking.
MJaeger-LeCoultre
Since its creation, Jaeger-LeCoultre has made precision an
art form in its own right, balancing skills and artistry with
sophistication and esthetic finesse. In keeping with the
inventive spirit initiated in 1833, the artisans of the Manufacture
create collections which have been at the forefront of fine
watchmaking: Reverso, Master, Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris,
Rendez-Vous and Atmos – this rich legacy built by the Grande
Maison over centuries serves as a constant source of inspiration
in ever so pushing the boundaries through unprecedented
timepieces.
www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
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