Since the early days, the movement of the planets and the stars have always played a significant role in measuring time. These astronomical functions have led Jaeger-LeCoultre to create a portfolio of complicated timepieces from Moonphase displays to complex perpetual calendar pieces and many more. This year, La Grande Maison pays tribute to these astronomical functions with the launch of a collection of celestial timepieces dedicated to the importance of these movements under the “Stellar Odyssey” journey. Jaeger-LeCoultre continues this journey forward by hosting themed events around the globe for customers and the general public to discover the mysteries of the cosmos and how it has been translated into wristwatches. 

Here are the details of the novelties released this year:

Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590

Pegged as one of the most complicated Atmos clocks ever created by the Maison, the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 features functions that represent the true cycles of the Earth, Sun and Moon more closely than ever before. It displays three dimensions in real time the relative positions and movements of the celestial beings. 

Also called the Atmos Tellurium, this unique and complex is created by the artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares® atelier. Requiring more than four years of research and development work, the Atmos Tellurium features the new calibre 590 that is made of a total of 443 components. It represents the reproduction of the rotation of the Earth on its own axis, the orbits of the Moon around the Earth and Earth around the Sun along with corresponding month, seasons and a zodiacal calendar. 

‘Fully visible from every angle, the entire mechanism seems to hover in space within its cylindrical cabinet of glass. In fact, it is supported, and attached to the base by a virtually invisible glass cloche, which also encloses the annular balance. Like the main body of the movement, the balance also seems to floating as it performs its slow and mesmerising dance.’ explains Lionel Favre, Jaeger-LeCoultre Design Director.

The Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 is limited to just 10 pieces.

Technical Specs:

Dimensions: 215mm diameter x 253mm height

Calibre: perpetual Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 590

Frequency: annular balance with 60-second oscillation

Functions: hours, minutes, night & day, month, moon phases, zodiacal calendar

Cabinet: cylindrical glass hand-painted with the constellations

Decorative finishes: inlaid meteorite; engraving; miniature painting; lacquer

Reference: Q5765300 – Limited edition of 10 pieces

Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945

With this timepiece, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes us on a journey through the constellations showcased via expert craftsmanship and technical know-how. Jaeger-LeCoultre reinterprets its Grande Complication Calibre 945 with two magnificent new interpretations for 2022: Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 Galaxia in pink gold and Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 Atomium in white gold. Limited to just five pieces, each of the two timepieces powered by the superlative Calibre 945 showcases a heavenly display of a celestial vault, a zodiacal calendar, a minute repeater and by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Cosmotourbillon – a celestial flying tourbillon.

The multi-level dial is treated as the link to the cosmos on both a literal and philosophical level. Set at the centre of the dial, the celestial vault maps the Northern Hemisphere night sky as seen from the 46th parallel – the latitude of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Vallée de Joux – tracking the position of the constellations in real time. The Cosmotourbillon is elevated beyond its purely technical function as a regulating mechanism, measuring the passing of time as it makes a complete, anti-clockwise circuit of the dial in one sidereal day. The month of the zodiacal calendar is set via a golden sun-shaped pointer set at the edge of the dial while the solar time is present on a 24-hour scale. 

The dial is hand-decorated by the artisans in the the Métiers Rares® atelier of the Manufacture. For the star map, the Maison has introduced grisaille enamel for the very first time. This painterly technique is unique in creating a chiaroscuro effect, with an illusion of three-dimensionality created by half-tones and shading. 

Technical Specs:

MASTER HYBRIS ARTISTICA CALIBRE 945 GALAXIA

MASTER HYBRIS ARTISTICA CALIBRE 945 ATOMIUM

Dimensions: 45 mm x 16.05 mm

Calibre: manual mechanical movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 945

Functions: hours/minutes, months, 24-hour indication; Cosmotourbillon indicating sidereal time; celestial disc with star chart indicating the constellations in the northern hemisphere in real time; minute repeater

Power reserve: 40 hours

Dial: black dial with grisaille enamel (in pink gold case) or blue dial with silvered laser-welded structure (in white gold case)

Case: pink gold or white gold with micro-blasted, satin and polished finishes; sapphire case-back

Water resistance: 5 bar

Strap: Alligator leather

References: 

Q5262470 (pink gold version, limited to 5 pieces)

Q5263481 (white gold version, limited to 5 pieces)

Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948

Following up on its long history of creating remarkable timepieces displaying several timezones, this year Jaeger-LeCoultre offers a unique artistic interpretation of the Universal Time – the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948. 

Crafted in a 43mm white gold case, the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 is a beautiful timepiece with a beautiful dial. Made of several parts, the centre of the dial is home to a map of the world as seen from the North Pole. What make it extra special is the illusion of the map floating above the dial bed on a domed skeleton formed by longitudes and latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The map has been 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; miniature-painted details of major landscape features add intrigue and refinement. Under the dome sits a vivid blue translucent lacquer disc decorated with a wavy guilloché pattern that represents the movement of the sea and the lunar influences 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. Around the outer edge of the dial sits the usual suspects of all classical world timers. 

Technical Specs: 

Dimensions: 43mm x 14.13mm

Calibre: automatic mechanical movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948

Functions: hours and minutes, universal flying tourbillon, world-time display with 24-hour indication

Power reserve: 48 hours

Case: white gold; sapphire crystal case-back 

Water resistance: 5 bar

Strap: alligator leather with deployant buckle

Reference: Q52834E1. Limited edition of 20 pieces

Polaris Perpetual Calendar

For 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes its adventure loving Polaris watch and enriches it with one of the most complex complications – a perpetual calendar. What is a perpetual calendar? It is a miniature mechanical computer that always shows the correct date, automatically adjusting for the different duration of months and even the leap years. It will not need any manual correction until 2100, unlike a normal date display, which needs to be adjusted at the end of every month that doesn’t have 31 days.

The Polaris Perpetual Calendar comes in a 42mm steel or pink gold case featuring the key Polaris design codes of taut lines, fine bezels and an eye-catching mix of brushed and polished surfaces. The deep gradient- blue dial of the Polaris Perpetual Calendar is inspired by the Polaris Mariner Memovox. It features a graduated blue shade that suggests the transition from day to night, the calendar indications displayed in three sub-dials and a moon-phase indicator at 6 o’ clock. Skeletonised hands and bold trapezoid shaped indexes add further complexity to the dial. 

Powered by the Maison’s Claibre 868AA with a power reserve of 70 hours, the Polaris Perpetual Calendar is offered in a steel bracelet or textured rubber strap for the steel version and a blue rubber strap for the gold version. 

Technical Specs:

Dimensions: 42mm x 11.97mm

Calibre: automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with moon phases in two hemispheres and red security zone, inner rotating bezel

Power reserve: 70 hours

Case: Steel or Pink Gold

Water resistance: 100m

Strap: Ref. Q9088480 (steel) interchangeable steel bracelet and rubber strap

Ref. Q9082480 (pink gold) interchangeable rubber strap and alligator leather strap

Rendez-Vouz Dazzling Star

With the Rendez-Vouz Dazzling Star, Jaeger-LeCoultre captures the romantic shooting stars and brings it to your wrist. Unpredictable, ephemeral and mysterious, these flashes of light are activated on the timepiece showcasing an enchanting display that appear on the dial at random moments or on demand by turning the winding crown several times. All of this has been made possible with the help of an entirely new mechanism conceived and developed by the Manufacture. 

The Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star is crafted in a 36mm pink gold case with a dial made entirely of blue Aventurine. This deep blue dial perfectly captures the beauty of a star-studded night sky. The centre of the dial house three discs layered over each other and framed by a ring of diamonds. The first layer, an oval of Aventurine, conceals the shooting star when it is inactive. Beneath it is a circular disc of Aventurine with a cut-out of the shooting star; when activated, this disc spins, sending the star on its curving path across the upper dial. As the star passes, the cut-out reveals the deepest layer of the dial – a fixed disc of golden metal with a glowing gradient finish that accentuates the sense of movement.

Like the original design codes of the Rendez-Vouz, the new timepiece features a ring of applied numerals in the signature Floral font as the central display. Surrounding the 36mm pink gold case, the Dazzling Rendez-Vous bezel forms two concentric rings. There’s an airy quality to these glittering circles, thanks to the prong (or ‘griffe’) setting of the outer ring of 36 stones.

Powered by an automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734, the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star comes in a shiny blue alligator strap with a folding buckle or a fully-set pink gold bracelet. 

Technical Specs:

Case: pink gold, sapphire crystal case back

Dimensions: 36 mm x 9.80 mm

Mechanism: automatic mechanical movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734

Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” display

Power reserve: 70 hours

Dial: Aventurine, diamonds

Diamonds: Ref. Q3642470 (181 diamonds for 3.48 carats); Ref. Q3642371 (617 diamonds for 8.36 carats)

Water resistance: 5 bar

For more information, visit here. 

Image Courtesy: Jaeger-LeCoultre