Jaeger-LeCoultre – MASTER® Grande Tradition Tourbillon Calibre 948 Edition 2022
PRESENTS THE MASTER GRANDE TRADITION CALIBRE 948
WHEN THE MÉTIERS RARES® ADORN UNIVERSAL TIME
Since the 1930s, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been creating timepieces able to display several time zones simultaneously. From dual-time watches to the Géographique and the remarkable Calibre 948 world timer, La Grande Maison makes time truly universal. For 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a magnificent new artistic interpretation of the Universal Time: Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948, embellished with great finesse by the artisans of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares® atelier.
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- · A new expression of the world-time complication unites artistry and technical prowess
- · Multiple skills from the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares® atelier are brought together to create the domed, open-worked and enamelled dial – the product of 70 hours of work
- · The Universal Tourbillon rotates in 60 seconds and makes a complete circuit of the dial in 24 hours
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
In the long history of timekeeping, time zones are relatively recent concept – but, like all measurements of time, have their origins in astronomy. The passage of our
24-hour day is based on the solar cycle, which is determined by the rotation of Earth on itself and its orbit around the Sun. Thus, as early navigators and explorers discovered, sunrise and sunset occur at different times in different places. With the development of maritime trade in the 18th century and railway travel in the
19th century, the need became clear for standardised timing – the synchronisation of clocks within a given geographical region – and for global norms to be established.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTOAt the
International Meridian Conference in
1884, it was decided that the
Greenwich Observatory in
London would be the prime meridian (longitude
0°) as the standard of time reckoning around the globe. Longitudes would be calculated both east and west from Greenwich up to
180° and the world’s universal day would be the Mean Solar Day, starting and ending at midnight at Greenwich and counted east and west from there – hence the terms ante meridian (am) and post meridian (pm). These resolutions were later formalised to create the
24 major time zones, each defined by
15 degrees of longitude.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTOWhen
Jaeger-LeCoultre created the
Calibre 948, it was the first time that a world-time complication had ever been united with a flying tourbillon. What’s more, the Universal Tourbillon makes a complete circuit of the dial every
24 hours – the length of a mean solar day. A true expression of
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technical expertise, the automatic calibre was conceived, developed and entirely produced within the Manufacture. The splendid new aesthetic expression of the world-time complication showcases La Grande Maison’s artistic creativity and mastery of the decorative crafts alongside its technical prowess.
A World of Time on the Dial
In a subtle allusion to the depth and complexity of time measurement, the dial is made of several parts.
At its centre, in keeping with world-timer tradition, is a map of the world as seen from the North Pole.
However, unlike the traditional flattened image, this map floats above
the dial bed on a domed skeleton formed by the longitudes and latitudes
of the Northern Hemisphere. Created by the master artisans of the
Manufacture’s Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts™) atelier, the outline of the continents is cut from a sheet of white gold and decorated with champlevé enamel.
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Champlevé – which translates literally as ‘raised field’ – is a noble and ancient enamelling technique that was first practiced almost
2,500
years ago. With great skill, the artisan must first carve out a
depression in the raw metal, conforming exactly to the outline of the
desired image – in this case, the shapes of the continents seen from the
North Pole.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO This hollow area is then filled with multiple layers
of enamel – fired at very high temperatures after each layer – until it
is flush with the original surface. On the completed enamel surfaces,
miniature-painted details of the continents’ major landscape features
have been painstakingly added, enhancing the work with even greater
intrigue and refinement.
For the new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948, the enamelling of a single dome requires 55 hours of work. Measuring just 25.5mm in diameter, each dial is a remarkable work of art in miniature, requiring almost 70 hours of meticulous work altogether.
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Beneath the dome, representing the oceans, the dial bed is a disc of vivid blue translucent lacquer applied over a wavy guilloché pattern that suggests the movement of the sea and the lunar influence on its tides. In circular aperture to one side of the map, the flying tourbillon appears to float weightlessly above the blue oceans, spinning in 60 seconds.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
As on all
classical world timers, each time zone is represented by the name of a
city, arranged in a ring around the central dial. Set outside the city
ring are two concentric fixed rings: a 24-hour indicator with applied
numerals and rectangular indexes, and a minute track laser-engraved on a
ring of blue lacquer that matches the blue oceans. Mimicking the
rotation of Earth on its axis, the domed Earth map – together with the
Universal Tourbillon and city ring – makes a complete 360-degree
revolution in 24 hours, always indicating the right time in each city.Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The
Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 is very simple to read: the hour
marked on the ring adjacent to the city name is the time in that city’s
zone. It is equally simple to operate: the time is set with the crown,
which synchronises all of the time zones around the world. On arrival at
a new destination, local time is set by the same crown, which moves
only the hour hand, in one-hour jumps forwards or backwards, allowing
the minutes and seconds to continue running accurately.Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The
Master Grande Tradition case is a perfect complement to the dial.
Comprising more than 80 parts, its convex bezel contrasts with broad
bevels on the lugs, and the hollowed-out lug sides add dynamic tension.
Different surfaces are microblasted, polished and satin-brushed to
maximise the play of light.Blending
art and mechanics, the new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 is
testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedication to maintaining the fine
balance between a passionate drive to innovate and profound respect for
tradition.
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Model: MASTER® Grande Tradition Calibre 948
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Reference: Q52834E1 – White Gold
Case
White gold; sapphire case-back
Dimensions: 43mm x 14.13mm
Water resistance: 5 bar
Movement
Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948
Frequency: 28,800
Power reserve: 48 hours
Functions:
hours/minutes, universal flying tourbillon, world-time display (24 time zones), 24-hour indication
Dial
Blue translucent lacquer over a wavy guilloche pattern; domed skeleton structure decorated with champlevé enamel
Strap
Alligator leather with deployant buckle
Limited edition of 20 pieces
UP TO 8 YEARS OF WARRANTY
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Press Release - 2022
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