Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948
This watch showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre's in-house Métiers Rares atelier skills, combining enamelling, guillochage, and lacquering, limited to 20 pieces. Share
Jaeger-LeCoultre recently reimagined the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948—a timepiece renowned for mechanical brilliance and exceptional craftsmanship. Now featuring a green enamel dial, it encapsulates the vibrant hues of nature and each piece is encased in 18-carat pink gold, demonstrating the sophisticated capabilities of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house Métiers Rares atelier.
The essence of the Calibre 948 lies in its artistic expression of the world-time complication, beautifully uniting mechanical ingenuity with the ancient crafts of enamelling, guillochage, and lacquering. This timepiece is distinguished by its Universal Tourbillon, which completes a full rotation around the dial every 24 hours, symbolizing the Earth’s rotation on its axis and its orbit around the Sun.
Jaeger-LeCoultre has long been celebrated for its expertise in creating complex timepieces. This mastery includes the ability to display multiple time zones simultaneously, a feature that has been a part of the brand’s heritage for nearly a century. The world-time display integrated within the Calibre 948 is an ode to this legacy, incorporating a flying tourbillon that enhances the timepiece’s functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Understanding the world’s time zones requires a grasp of their astronomical origins. Traditionally, timekeeping was localized, with midday marked by the sun’s highest point in the sky. However, as 19th-century railway travel necessitated more standardized timekeeping, the concept of global time zones emerged. The International Meridian Conference of 1884 established Greenwich, London, as the starting point for these zones, each defined by 15 degrees of longitude, facilitating a more organized global timekeeping system.
The dial of the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 is a marvel of craftsmanship, demanding over 70 hours of labour to perfect. It employs the champlevé technique, an ancient method where artisans carve into the metal and fill the depressions with enamel, fired multiple times to achieve a flawless finish. This dial undergoes 10 layers of enamel, each contributing to the detailed and vibrant representation of the world.
Lacquering complements this with numerous layers applied to achieve depth and a rich finish, each layer meticulously polished to enhance its allure. The guilloché beneath this lacquer mimics the undulating patterns of the sea, adding a layer of depth and complexity to the dial.
The Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 features a detailed map of the world at its centre, represented in an 18ct gold cut-out, enhanced by the champlevé enamel. This map is not flat but domed, adding a three-dimensional aspect that enhances the dial’s depth. Surrounding this are the names of cities, each representing different time zones. The time in each city aligns with the hour indicated on the adjacent city ring, thanks to the synchronous movement of the dial and the Universal Tourbillon, which mirrors the daily rotation of the Earth.
The design of the Calibre 948’s case is a study in elegance and complexity, constructed from over 40 parts. Its refined lines and the interplay of polished, satin-brushed, and microblasted finishes enhance the visual appeal, while a dark green alligator strap complements the dial. The case’s design protects the intricate mechanics within but also adds to the overall aesthetic, making it a true collector’s piece.
