Jaeger-LeCoultre has mastered the skill of making timepieces that can display more than one time zone. From dual-time watches, the Géographique and the impressive Calibre 948, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a true traveller’s companion. For their newest unveiling, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents the Universal Time: Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 in a new artistic interpretation.
Different skillsets from the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares® atelier come together to create a domed open-worked enamelled dial. Each timepiece takes approximately 70 hours of work to complete the beautiful dial.
When the Calibre 948 was first created by Jaeger-LeCoultre, it would be the first time a world-time complication was paired with a flying tourbillon. The Universal Tourbillon would also make a complete circuit of the dial every 24 hours, the same as the length of a mean solar day. The Calibre 948 was designed and created in-house at the brand’s Manufacture. The creation of this world-time complication in-house shows the technical creativity and artistic talents that the brand has to offer.
Design:
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 comes in a white gold 43mm case, with a dial that’s composed of several different parts. Unlike traditional dials that show world maps, the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 shows the map of the world viewed from the North Pole floating above the dial bed on a domed skeleton, which is formed by longitudes and latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The master artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre have created the outline of the continents through a cut-out from a white gold sheet and then decorated it with champlevé enamel.
This new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 requires 55 hours of enamelling per single dome. The complete dial after its remarkable miniature artwork takes around 70 hours to finish. The dial bed is a disc made of blue translucent lacquer which has been applied over a wavy guilloche pattern. This is done to show the lunar’s influence over sea tides. The flying tourbillon spinning in 60 seconds is shown in a circular aperture on one side of the dial.
Each different timezone around the world is represented by the name of a city, which is arranged in a ring around the centre of the dial. Around the city ring are two other fixed concentric rings; a 24-hour indicator with applied numerals and rectangular indexes and the minute track which has been laser-engraved onto blue lacquer. The domed Earth map along with the Universal Tourbillon and city ring makes a complete 360 degree turn within 24 hours. As the domed Earth makes the 360-degree turn, the right time in each city will always be indicated.
Movement:
The automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948 operates at a frequency of 28, 800 VpH while giving out a power reserve of 48 hours. The Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 will be offered on a blue alligator leather strap which matches the blue lacquered dial nicely.
Incorporating a flying tourbillon with a world time indicator is no easy task. Jaeger-LeCoultre has achieved this by blending art with the mechanics to create the new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948. Presented at Watches & Wonders 2022, this travellers companion is limited to just 20 models worldwide.
Reference: Q52834E1
Specification:
- Case: 43 mm and thickness 14.13mm
- Case Material: White gold; sapphire case-back
- Dial: Blue translucent lacquer over a wavy guilloche pattern; domed skeleton structure decorated with champlevé enamel
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal on both sides
- Water resistance: 50 meters
- Movement: Automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948
- Power reserve: 48Hours
- Strap: Alligator leather with deployant buckle
- Functions: Hours/minutes, universal flying tourbillon, world-time display (24 time zones), 24-hour indication
