OVERVIEW
THE UNIVERSAL TIME
Combining extraordinary watchmaking expertise with the talent of the artisans of the Atelier des Métiers Rares, the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 expresses all the savoir-faire of the Grande Maison. Comprising 388 components, the Calibre 948 offers a World-Time complication and a flying Tourbillon making one revolution of the dial in 24 hours. Complementing this complex beauty of the movement, the enamelled dome and all the components of the piece offer a spectacle of great beauty.
DESIGN
THE EARTH ADORNED BY THE MÉTIERS RARES
The splendid new aesthetic expression of the world-time complication showcases La Grande Maison’s artistic creativity and mastery of the decorative crafts alongside its technical prowess. In a subtle allusion to the depth and complexity of time measurement, the dial is made of several parts and each component of the piece is meticulously crafted, giving expression to the exceptional Calibre 948.
THE ART OF ENAMELLING
Unlike the traditional flattened image, the world map, as seen from the North Pole, floats above the dial bed on a domed skeleton formed by the longitudes and latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Created by the master artisans of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares® 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.
THE BEAUTY OF THE OCEAN
Beneath the dome, representing the oceans, the dial bed is a disc of vivid blue translucent lacquer applied over a wavy guilloché pattern that suggests the movement of the sea and the lunar influence 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.
A LUXURIOUS CASE
The Master Grande Tradition case is a perfect complement to the dial. Comprising more than 80 parts, its convex bezel contrasts with broad bevels on the lugs, and the hollowed-out lug sides add dynamic tension. Different surfaces are microblasted, polished and satin-brushed to maximise the play of light.
Turning the watch on itself reveals a spectacle of great beauty. The sapphire case back of the timepiece offers a view of the refined decorations of the automatic calibre, echoing the complexity of the piece.
heritage
THE WORLD TIME
The passage of time is based on the cycle of the sun, and manking including early navigators noticed that sunrise and sunset occur at different times in different places. With the development of maritime trade in the 18th century and railway travel in the 19th century, the need became clear for standardised timing. Until then, cities had their own local times, which were set every day at noon when the sun reached its zenith.
functions
THE WORLD ON THE WRIST
As on all classical world timers, each time zone is represented by the name of a city, arranged in a ring around the central dial. Set outside the city ring are two concentric fixed rings: a 24-hour indicator with applied numerals and rectangular indexes, and a minute track laser-engraved on a ring of blue lacquer that matches the blue oceans. Mimicking the rotation of Earth on its axis, the domed Earth map – together with the Universal Tourbillon and city ring – makes a complete 360-degree revolution in 24 hours, always indicating the right time in each city.
calibre
TICKING THE WORLD WITH PRECISION
When Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Calibre 948, it was the first time that a world-time complication had ever been united with a flying tourbillon. What’s more the Universal Tourbillon makes a complete circuit of the dial every 24 hours – the length of a mean solar day. A true expression of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technical expertise, the automatic calibre was conceived, developed and entirely produced within the Manufacture.
collection
MASTER GRANDE TRADITION
The Master Grande Tradition collection perfectly embodies Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expertise from the beauty of craftsmanship to the complexity of fine watchmaking. The outstanding Master Grande Tradition calibres are made up of several hundred components, with the most complicated having almost 600.
Epitomising the Maison’s spirit of innovation, this complexity is achieved without compromising the level of decoration and finishing of each component of the movement. The refined dial is elegant and pure while the sapphire glass back offers a glimpse into true watchmaking mastery