Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985 In Pink Gold And Platinum
Jaeger-LeCoultre has undergone many management changes over the years. The most recent is Jérôme Lambert, who returns as CEO after having held the role from 2002 to 2013. Each staff turnover results in a shift in direction for JLC, whether that be the Le Sentier brand focusing on movement development or taking on more technical avant-garde designs to create down-in-the-mud tool watches for Navy SEALs. But two things always seem to endure — the Reverso and high-end complications. The new Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985 exhibits the latter in conjunction with an 18K pink gold case and two options in platinum. Showcasing highly complicated watchmaking, the movement boasts a perpetual calendar with a moonphase display in tandem with a flying tourbillon. Alongside the release of the Grande Tradition is the pink gold Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon with an exquisitely finished dial.
The Master collection contains the traditional round watches on JLC’s roster. And while the complications and dials vary wildly, the round case persists. From there, Jaeger-LeCoultre demonstrates how extravagant its watchmaking prowess is. As one of the few Swiss brands to boast in-house manufacturing for most of its components, Jaeger-LeCoultre can experiment. Whereas several brands accept the limitations and work around standard off-the-shelf parts, JLC constantly strives for improvement. For instance, the humble hairspring rarely varies between brands, but as JLC produces its springs in-house, the shape and length can be customized depending on the application. With the Master Grande Tradition, Jaeger-LeCoultre employs a cylindrical hairspring, seldom seen in watchmaking since the days of Abraham-Louis Breguet. By reintroducing the complex spring shape for the 21st century, JLC unlocks new potential from past innovation.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985
Starting with the Master Grande Tradition, three new timepieces join the lineup. They all utilize the automatic caliber 985, which debuted in the 2013 Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique. However, this year’s models don’t just have a new dial and case material. JLC revitalizes the range by updating the case shape and dimensions and refining the dial details. The perpetual calendar dominates the display, with the day, date, month, and year indications on three sub-dials. Each sub-dial includes an exquisitely polished hand with digits laser-engraved in relief against a contrasting textured ring. The moonphase indicator displays a waxing, waning, full, and new moon rotating in correlation with our Moon’s cycle. With fine gearing, this complication requires no adjustment for 122 years. Stars flank the small moon, which displays a polished finish, consistent with the polished hands and baton markers.
Caliber 985 is one of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most complicated mechanisms, which, for this brand, says a lot. The 431 parts of the movement synchronize to produce an intricate dance of gears and springs. Most of these are visible on the dial side through the open cage of the flying tourbillon. The tourbillon itself comprises 83 lightweight titanium components. While debate persists regarding the gravitational deterrent of tourbillons in wristwatches compared to pocket watches, the visual dynamism certainly grabs attention. The rich blue dial has two options in a 42mm platinum case. One has a smooth mirror-finish bezel, and another has 72 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 3.4 carats. Within the 18K pink gold case is a soft brown dial that blends harmoniously for a warm tone. All versions include an exhibition case back with a sapphire window to view the 22K rose gold rotor.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel
The next timepiece from Jaeger-LeCoultre is the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel. Grand Feu enamel is the work of heating neatly applied colored glass paste at high temperatures to achieve a delicate but everlasting sheen on the dial. Heightening the already impressive dial technique are 180 guilloché sun rays, allowing the anthracite shade to bounce and play with light beneath the sapphire crystal.
The “Ultra Thin” moniker is slightly misleading, as a 12.13mm profile is standard for a dress watch of this style. But when you consider the tourbillon at 6 o’clock courtesy of JLC’s caliber 978, you can appreciate that this is still a remarkably thin watch. Caliber 978 has been around since 2009, but it received an upgrade in 2019 to harness new technology. The tourbillon also acts as the subsidiary seconds indication, and I particularly like the embossed indexes in gold surrounding the tourbillon window.
Even with the open-heart dial showcasing the watchmaking mastery, the 40mm 18K pink gold case includes a sapphire-equipped display back to view the 18K pink gold automatic rotor. The movement features a 45-hour power reserve with a date sub-dial at 12 o’clock filled with concentric grooves. The dazzling dial with Grand Feu enamel accentuated with hand guilloché is the real star of this watch. Adding to this are the polished baton markers and dauphine hands. This particular model is limited to 50 pieces.
Final specs and thoughts
Both 18K pink gold timepieces come with alligator straps with matching gold folding buckles. However, the two platinum watches each come with a pin buckle for the blue alligator straps. The proficiency in watchmaking is on full display here, which you could say is Jaeger-LeCoultre flexing its muscles. In the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985, a thin polished strip of precious metal accentuates the step down of the dial layers. But in all cases, the dial details are elegant, with the sunray pattern in the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel generating an animated sparkle. The prices for all these watches are available upon request.
