Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 is an intricate orchestration of three of the most coveted complications in watchmaking: the Gyrotourbillon, a perpetual calendar, and the Westminster chime minute repeater. Jaeger-LeCoultre brings a fresh, refined approach with its new 2024 iteration, where the mechanics are functional and transformed into a visual and sensory experience. From the meticulously hand-finished Grand Feu enamel dial to the sculptural form of the pink gold case, this limited edition of five is a celebration of complications and its associated technology.

The Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 exemplifies this philosophy, combining three major complications in a single watch: sound, precision, and astronomical features. These elements are paired with the intricate decorative arts, including Grand Feu enamelling and lacquering, crafted by the Maison’s Métiers Rares atelier. The level of craftsmanship and technical complexity involved in the creation of Calibre 184 is truly extraordinary. Comprising 1,052 components, the movement takes approximately five months to assemble. The entire process is carried out by a single highly skilled watchmaker, ensuring the highest degree of precision and quality.

The dial of the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 presents a striking visual complexity. Its design plays with harmony and contrast, featuring a blend of curved and rectilinear shapes, textured and polished surfaces, and a restrained bi-colour palette. Black Grand Feu enamel plates decorated with a geometric pattern frame the time and perpetual calendar sub-dial. At the centre of this sub-dial, a smoky black sapphire disc provides a glimpse of the underlying calendar mechanisms. The lower portion of the dial showcases the Gyrotourbillon, flanked by repeater hammers and distinctive curved gongs, which are treated in black to complement the overall design.

The case of the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 further enhances its visual appeal. Composed of over 80 individual components, the case features polished, brushed, and micro-blasted finishes that accentuate its sculptural form. For this edition, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s designers have integrated the geometric pattern from the dial into the case sides, which are adorned with black lacquered plates. In addition, the minute repeater mechanism is activated by a retractable pusher that lies flush with the case, maintaining the clean and elegant lines of the timepiece.

At the heart of Calibre 184 lies the Gyrotourbillon, now in its fifth version. While the mechanism has been re-engineered and reduced in size, it remains a technical masterpiece. The smaller size allows for the integration of a minute repeater without significantly increasing the thickness of the calibre. Composed of 94 parts, the Gyrotourbillon weighs just 0.4 grams.

To ensure consistent accuracy, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s engineers have equipped Calibre 184 with a one-minute constant force mechanism. This mechanism ensures a steady supply of power to the Gyrotourbillon, enhancing both its performance and the precision of the minute repeater. The constant force mechanism also drives the dead-beat minute hand, ensuring that the minute repeater chimes the correct time down to the exact minute.

The minute repeater in Calibre 184 plays the Westminster chime, a melody made famous by London’s Big Ben. This chime is achieved using four hammers instead of the usual two, with the hammers arranged in pairs to strike the gongs from the same angle. Jaeger-LeCoultre has incorporated several patented innovations to enhance the sound quality, including trébuchet hammers that strike the gongs with greater force and crystal gongs that are connected directly to the front crystal of the watch, allowing for a clearer transfer of sound. Additionally, a time-lapse reduction mechanism ensures a smooth and even cadence when the minute repeater is activated.