Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrate 180 Years With Jubilee Collection

By Valerie Jack | January 28, 2013

Last week at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, luxury watchmakers Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated their history while looking forward to 2013. The manufacture, which this year celebrates its 180th anniversary, is honoring its history with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Jubilee Collection. The Jubilee collection, dedicated to the Swiss manufacture’s founder Antoine LeCoultre, features three new models. Here, we have your first look:

The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee timepiece incorporates the Jaeger-LeCoultre gyrotourbillon for the first time with a flying tourbillon, a blued gold balance and a spherical-shaped balance-spring. This incredible timepiece, which combines the precision of a spherical tourbillon with the first instantaneous digital-display chronograph, is presented within a Grande Complication watch. The surface of the gyrotourbillon’s aluminum carriage was treated to enhance its ability to reflect the light, enabling light to stream into the heart of the spherical tourbillon. The absence of an upper bridge means these details can be viewed freely.

The Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique à Quantième Perpétuel Jubilee timepiece was inspired by 19th century perpetual calendars, paying tribute to the 180 years of Antoine LeCoultre’s manufacture. The movement features the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 985 movement, a new automatic winding mechanical movement, wherein the tourbillon is equipped with a cylindrical balance-spring. A fine balance between classicism and purity, this timepieces features an extra-white platinum case, pocket-watch style hour-markers, a traditional minute circle, and a silver-toned grained dial finish. Only 180 pieces of this limited-edition series will be produced.

The Master Ultra Thin Jubilee has set a new record as the thinnest mechanical manual winding watch in the world, at just 4.05 mm in thickness. Inspired by an ultra-thin minimalist 1907 pocket-watch, this timepiece features a 39mm-diameter “knife-shaped” case in extra-white platinum. The hour-markers, the traditional minute circle and the grained silver-toned finish of its dial are inspired by the aesthetics of previous pocket-watches by Jaeger-LeCoultre. The 849 caliber movement at the heart of this watch matches the case’s slim look, measuring just 1.85 mm in thickness. The manufacture’s 180th anniversary is commemorated by the inscription of the date 1833 beneath the Jaeger-LeCoultre logo. Only 880 pieces of this limited-edition series will be produced.

For a close-up look at all these models, check out our gallery!