Recently unveiled at the 2019 edition of Sihh was the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, the first multi-axis tourbillon with constant-force mechanism, Westminster chime and perpetual calendar. The key points of Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel can be summarised as follows:
- It is the fifth multi-axis tourbillon produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, with reduced dimensions reworked to create a more wearable watch;
- A minute repeater with Westminster carillon that reproduces the chime of London's Big Ben, with a mechanism that reduces the silence and optimises the cadence of the melody;
- It incorporates a one-minute constant-force mechanism to provide the tourbillon with constantly efficient energy. As a result, the minute hand jumps with extreme precision and the minute repeater mechanism is more accurate;
- A new, elegant and contemporary aesthetic, combining traditional haut-de-gamme finishes with modern, easy-to-wear watches.
The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel represents the new generation of multi-axis tourbillons produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre after the Master Gyrotourbillon 1 of 2004, the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 of 2008, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee of 2013 and the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon of 2016. Precision tourbillons are a Jaeger-LeCoultre speciality, sealed by the Concours International de Chronométrie in 2009, at which the first two prizes were awarded to the House of Le Sentier. Although the multi-axis tourbillon requires considerable amounts of energy, chronometric performance is not affected in the slightest. Reconciling the demands of the Gyrotourbillon with the impeccable chronometric requirements is a feat based on a perfect balance. The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel takes the art of multi-axis tourbillons to a higher level and boasts a tourbillon that is considerably smaller than those of previous Gyrotourbillon timepieces. As a rule, reducing the size of a mechanism also reduces the tolerance for error, which is why such effective miniaturisation work is extremely complex and considered to be of great value. By creating a smaller tourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a truly wearable Gyrotourbillon, allowing the high complication to be enjoyed directly on the wrist. The Westminster chime is known to all as the famous melody of the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster in London. Its four-phrase melody is composed of four notes played in different sequences and in different amounts every quarter-hour. The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel uses four sets of gongs and hammers to create the Westminster chime, to indicate the quarters when the minute repeater is activated, and incorporates a complex mechanism that places it directly in the Olympus of the most prestigious chiming watches. Even the most beautiful melody can be disturbed by interruptions and moments of silence between chimes. To create a perfectly euphonic chime, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel is equipped with a silence-reduction function incorporated into its chime mechanism. This function ensures that, even when the complete set of Westminster quarters is not sounded, there is no time lag corresponding to the missing quarters before the minutes are struck. In each combination of the chime, when the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel is activated, the chimes of the hours, quarters and minutes are perfectly linked. Precision is at the heart of the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, with a one-minute constant-force mechanism that delivers an effective level of energy to the tourbillon without interfering with its chronometric capacity. The constant-force mechanism consists of a spring, traditionally known as the remontoir d'égalitéwhich is periodically wound by the mainspring and serves as a secondary energy source to protect the movement's regulating organ. In the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, the constant-force mechanism has an additional advantage: it regulates the movement of the minute wheel and ensures that the jumping minute hand provides a more precise indication of time. In addition to the multi-axis tourbillon and minute repeater, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel also boasts the watchmaking function of greatest importance in everyday life and of pragmatic value: the perpetual calendar. The most common configuration of the perpetual calendar mechanism involves adjustment in only one direction, but the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel maximises the wearer's experience and practicality of use, as it allows the date to be adjusted forwards or backwards without damaging the movement. The indications are displayed on the openworked dial - available in either deep blue Grand Feu enamel or the more classic silvered grené version - showing the spectacular multi-axis tourbillon. In addition, the minute repeater of the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel also benefits from the latest innovations, such as the patented crystal gongs that first appeared in the 2005 Antoine LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater. These crystal gongs, welded to the watch face glass, exploit the superior sound transmission qualities of synthetic sapphire crystal to produce a clearer and louder horological chime.
Data sheet
Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel
- Diameter: 43 mm.
- Thickness: 14.08 mm.
- Calibre: 184, hand-wound.
- Case: white gold.
- Water resistance: 3 atmospheres.
- Functions: hours/minutes, jumping date, bidirectional perpetual calendar (day/date/month/year), Gyrotourbillon, minute repeater with Westminster chime.
- Power reserve: 52 hours.
- Dial: blue enamelled with guilloché work or silvered grené.
- Back: open.
- Limited edition of: 18 copies.
- References: Q52534E1, Q5253420.
