The recently introduced Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 World-Timer by Jaeger-LeCoultre harmonises the artistry of enamelling, guillochage and lacquering within a singular timepiece. Handcrafted by the skilled artisans of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares atelier, this watch presents a remarkable fusion of talents that calls for extensive hours of precise craftsmanship.
This watch integrates a world-time display with a flying tourbillon, a testament to the exceptional expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s master craftsmen and women at La Grande Maison, who have developed over 1400 calibres and secured more than 430 patents.
At a glance, the Master Grande Tradition case impresses with its sleek lines and refined proportions, creating a refined canvas for the detailed dial. With multiple components, this intricate case allows for a mix of surface finishes, including micro-blasted, polished and satin-brushed.
The dial serves as a remarkable miniature masterpiece skillfully created by the master artisans of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares atelier. Blending the expertise of enamelling, guillochage and lacquering, it requires extensive hours of meticulous work to craft each unique piece to perfection.
Also on the dial are names of cities on a green opaline ring, with an outer city ring on a concentric circle indicating 24-hour time. The Universal Tourbillon, mimicking Earth’s rotation, guides a full 360-degree rotation of the world map and city ring every 24 hours, revealing the time in each city. A timepiece for the collector as well as the frequent traveller.
The design begins with a domed view from the North Pole, featuring a world map intricately adorned with continents using the champlevé enamel technique. Created in the Atelier des Métiers Rares, the enamelling process alone requires more than 20 hours of careful work. The pink gold structure is meticulously skeletonised to expose the longitudes and latitudes of the world map, providing a glimpse of the oceanic disc.
As its name implies, functioning as a world timer, gazing through the dome presents a disc representing the oceans, guilloché in a wavy pattern that suggests the movement of the sea and embellished with 15 layers of blue-green translucent lacquer.
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Exceptional work-of-art on a caseback
It would be incomplete to discuss Jaeger-LeCoultre without acknowledging the iconic Reverso, recognised for its distinctive swivelling rectangular case. In the monoface models, the blank pink gold 750/1000 (18 carats) caseback serves as a canvas for artistic expression, inviting the artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares atelier to showcase their exceptional expertise in decorative crafts and jewellery techniques.
To note is the Birds of Paradise timepieces, an art piece that symbolises freedom and joy expressed through the language of flowers. These timepieces capture the vibrant colour and distinct geometric shape of the Birds of Paradise flower in a modern reinterpretation of traditional Grand Feu champlevé enamelling.
The meticulous process involves carving the outline of the design from the flat gold surface of the caseback, followed by carefully placing tiny pieces of 24-carat gold leaf to enhance texture and brilliance in orange and gold. Finally, the enameller applies 19 different enamel pigments in layers, creating depth and nuances of tone.
Up to nine layers of enamel are applied and this can take more than 60 hours to complete. The rich colours of the flowers and leaves are represented by snow-set diamonds that form the backdrop. In snow-setting, approximately 331 diamonds totalling 1.64 carats are carefully placed and this takes about 65 hours of precision gem-setting work.
The Birds of Paradise timepiece is adorned with a shiny green alligator leather strap custom-dyed to match the green leaves. The Reverso One “Precious Flowers” Birds of Paradise represents a culmination of 125 hours of exceptional work by the Métiers Rares artisans.
