2013/05/06 (Update - 2013/01/28)

*Jaeger-LeCoultre "New Productions 2013"

Jaeger-LeCoultre the Rendez-Vous Celestial

 

Creative freedom

The new timepiece by Jaeger-LeCoultre has a rendezvous with the sky. It offers an authentic anthem to the creative freedom that has inspired the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux since 1833. Paying tribute to artistic crafts, its elegance is inextricably bound up with its mechanical excellence. Created in complete harmony with traditional horology, it illustrates 180 years of history, expertise and technical perfection. The Rendez-Vous Celestial by Jaeger-LeCoultre is an invitation to embark on a galactic voyage and a vivid reminder that, 180 years ago, it was beneath the same star-studded sky that Antoine LeCoultre gave rise to what would become the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux.

The sky has always aroused a sense of amazement and represented a vast field of study for the watchmakers of the Vallée de Joux. The founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Antoine LeCoultre, was constantly impressed by nature and by the heavens above and their constellations. This brilliantly inventive individual dedicated his entire life to the quest for perfection, while devoting particular attention to the elements. It is in tribute to his inventive spirit that Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Rendez-Vous Celestial.

The fascinating décor of the timepiece proves that the founder’s innovative spirit and creative freedom continues to impel the men and women of the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux. In this region where human beings are caught up with the magic of nature, the artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre organise the measuring of days, hours and minutes that impart their cadence to daily life. They rise to the most amazing challenges by creating iconic watch products conveying the values of authenticity, excellence and refinement.

Nestling in its 18-carat white gold case, the watch reveals the full force of charm by a ricochet effect. Like a luminous echo, diamonds dance across the sides of the case all the way to the crowns and the bezel, before unfurling like a diadem above the numerals. The dial succumbs to the beauty of rare crafts while preserving the impeccable readability of all the functions. The collection’s characteristic hour numerals feature a contemporary shape stretching across the curve of a crescent that is hand-guilloché according to the ancestral tradition of this decorative art, and coated with a transparent blue lacquer. The hour arc tops a disc providing a spectacular vision of the sky with the constellation appearing on a precious lapis lazuli plate. Offering a delightfully lyrical touch, the designers of the model have chosen to incorporate a shooting star as a means of customising time: via a second crown adorned with an inverted diamond, the mobile star serves to set a personal rendezvous with the stars.

Accentuating the celestial ambitions that make this watch a perfect instrument for making astronomical observations, a zodiac calendar on the dial serves to show the position of the constellations sat any moment of the year, by means of an annual calendar that governs the system of time display and measurement. The mechanical automatic movement, Jaeger- LeCoultre Calibre 809, rotates the star disc at the imperceptibly gradual pace of one turn every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 04 seconds.

The back of the model offers a vibrant tribute to hand craftsmanship. The exceptional 230-part movement highlights the beauty of traditional Fine Watchmaking ornamentation, including the automatic winding oscillating weight bearing the “côtes soleillées” motif that reflects the sunburst dial aesthetic.

The glareproofed sapphire crystal caseback enables observers an ideal chance to try and glimpse the secrets of this remarkably precise calibre beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, while the gaze is immediately drawn on the dial side to the shooting star offering a chance to make a rendezvous with destiny. Like an invitation to make a special wish.