India Whiskey Charlie
[IWC Moderator]
9692
INTRODUCING THE MASTER ULTRA THIN TOURBILLON ENAMEL
REINTERPRETED WITH AN ANTHRACITE GREY DIAL
KEY FACTS:
- Showcasing in-house Métiers Rares™ expertise: Grand Feu enamel enhanced by a hand-guilloché pattern of 180 sunrays
- Ultra-thin tourbillon movement: Calibre 978 with a tourbillon weighing less than 0.5 grams
- Limited edition: a total of 50 pieces
INSPIRED BY IN-HOUSE SAVOIR-FAIRE IN GRAND FEU ENAMEL AND HAND-GUILLOCHAGE
The anthracite grey dial provides a dramatic backdrop for the tourbillon and the date display, and reflected light dances across the sunray pattern of the guillochage with every movement of the wrist. The hand-guilloché pattern is a work of immense precision and skill: each of the 180 ‘sun rays’ required six passages of the hand-operated rose engine lathe, making 1,080 lines altogether. Guided only by the eye and hand, the master guillocheur must ensure that every line is absolutely straight, evenly spaced and perfectly aligned, radiating out from the centre to the edges of the dial. In addition, the date sub-dial is hand-guilloché in a circular pattern (known in French as azurage) to create a subtle texture that contrasts with the sunray.
When the guilloché work has been completed, the dial is handed over to the master enameller, who begins the delicate task of applying the enamel. It requires five layers to achieve the desired intensity and depth of colour, with each layer followed by firing at 800ºC and carefully managed cooling.
HARNESSING A LEGACY OF TOURBILLON EXPERTISE
Since Jaeger-LeCoultre developed its first tourbillon movement in 1946, the tourbillon has been a key element in La Grande Maison’s pursuit of timekeeping precision. Invented to counteract the impact of gravity on the oscillations of the escapement, the delicate mechanism consists of a cage, within which the balance wheel and hairspring rotate. Over the course of almost 80 years, the Maison has invented many new tourbillon configurations and different hairspring shapes, the latter made possible because it is one of the few Manufactures to possess the specialised skill of shaping hairsprings in-house.
The movement powering the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel is the latest generation of Calibre 978, which won an international chronometry prize in 2009, the year of its launch. The calibre has become Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mainstay tourbillon movement and was comprehensively updated in 2019 to harness new technology. Comprising 77 components, including a titanium cage, the tourbillon weighs less than half a gram. It is equipped with a flat, two-level hairspring designed with a specific curve at the attachment points to help ensure that the oscillations are as regular as possible, thus delivering a high level of timekeeping accuracy. The pink gold bridge is enhanced by High Watchmaking finishes, including bevelling, straight graining and drawn flanks, all meticulously executed by hand.
With its finely handcrafted anthracite grey dial and mechanically sophisticated calibre, the new Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel epitomises La Grande Maison’s philosophy of uniting technical virtuosity with enduring beauty and timeless aesthetics.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Case: 18k Pink Gold (750/1000)
Dimensions: 40 mm diameter x 12.13 mm thick
Calibre: Automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 978
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds on tourbillon, date, tourbillon
Power Reserve: 45 hours
Dial: sunray-pattern guilloché with anthracite grey Grand Feu enamel, applied indexes, Dauphine hands
Water resistance: 5 bar
Strap: Black alligator, with small-scale lining
Buckle: Interchangeable pink gold double-folding clasp
Reference: Q13224E2
Limited edition: 50 pieces
INTRODUCING THE MASTER ULTRA THIN TOURBILLON ENAMEL
That really is a beautiful and special Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel but it's not an Ultra thin watch now is it?.
