Jaeger-LeCoultre

amanico
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Jaeger-Lecoultre SIHH 2015: First pictures and impressions on the Master Grande Tradition

An interesting offer from this year certainly is this Master Grande Tradition Minute Repeater.

Interesting, because this watch has, undisputably, some nice aesthetical virtues, and because it houses a new generation of minute repeaters movement.

1/ The aesthetics:

Jaeger Lecoultre gave to this watch a new case, or more precisely, a new size... 39 mm, and 12, 1 mm high.

Which is, in my opinion, a daring but smart move.

Daring, because some may think that 39 mm is a tad small. Smart, because in this diameter, I find that the proportions of the case are very elegant. I always wanted to see a thinner MGT case, it is now done, and I am quite happy with the visual outcome, even if I think that The Grande Maison could do it slimmer, one or two millimeters slimmer.



This watch is a blend of polished and brushed parts. Polished, the lugs and the concave bezel, while the side of the case is brushed. Another pleasant detail to the eye. You certainly noticed that the Master Grande Tradition Line saw its case reworked, for more elegance. The Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, despite its bigger dimension, received these changes.

The 2015 Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication:



At the contrary of what you can think when you see the pictures, the minute repeater is not activated through a conventional trigger, but through a pusher, shaped as a trigger.



That solution offers two advantages:

- It is more pleasant to use than the trigger.

- It is a safer way to activate the minute repeater. Once the minute repeater is working, you cannot start it again through the pusher. You have no other choice than waiting for the minute repeater, as it is not possible to re initiate it.

The dial is silver grained, and its hour markers are applied, in gold. The shape of these hours markers first appeared as a " Jubilé " signature in the Master Ultra Thin 39 Jubilé, or in the Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique Perpetual Calendar Jubilé.



The Dauphine hands receive a special treatment: They are facetted. One side is polished, the other is brushed.

The big Small Seconds subdial contributes to the balance of the dial. I am not sure the big gold circle surrounding it was necessary, though.



So, aestheticaly speaking, this Master Grande Tradition is very classic, yes, but it is elegant, understated, and has a lot of charm.

Well done, in my opinion. With one reserve...I really don't like the " plaque " located between 23 and 29 minutes. But I guess it is due to the fact that the gongs, welded to the sapphire, are located here.

Therefore, you will keep in mind that the Watch, took in picture, was a prototype, and that the plaque was not bearing any wording.

As you can see on the first picture of this article, there is now a wording " sonnerie ".



2/ The movement:

The Cal 942 is not really a new movement, as we first saw it in the very recent Rendez Vous Ivy Minute Repeater, unveiled in Hong Kong, during the Watches and Wonders Fair, in September 2014.

So, the Master Grande Tradition Minute Repeater is the second Watch to house it.

The Cal 942 is a 26 mm big, 7, 17 m thick movement, made of 437 parts, beating at 28 800 alternances per hour, and offering a power reserve of 40 hours.

While the full gold rotor is nicely designed and decorated, I feel that the movement decoration is not a the same level than the rest of the watch, and I regret we don't have something more special, in terms of finishings.





Therefore, the choice of an automatic movement for this Master Grande Tradition, for the Rendez Vous Ivy Minute Repeater, and for the Hybris Mechanica 11 raises a question: Is this the beginning of the automatic movements reign?

The Rendez Vous Ivy Minute Repeater:





The Hybris Mechanica 11:



Anyway, the minute repeater mechanism / system is well known and experienced:

You will find the Trebuchet hammers which were inaugurated with the Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie, in 2009, the Crystal gongs with a square section, welded to the sapphire used since 2005 in the Master Minute Repeater.

The Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie:



The Master Minute Repeater:



One information I didn't have, but which is important, is that the regulator operates at 20 Db, which is impressively silent, and important for a minute repeater. Those of us who heard minute repeaters are well aware that the noise of the regulator can ruin the quality of the sound. Good point there, then.

I heard this Minute Repeater as a prototype, so I will not give a definitive judgement. I will just say that, for now, the sound is loud enough, but I find it a bit too agressive. I discussed that point with the watchmakers in charge of this Master Grande Tradition, and they told me that they were still working on the settings. Definitive judgements on the sound with the definitive watch, then.

So, to conclude, I would say that I am very pleased with the aesthetics of this new Master Grande Tradition, I have no doubt that it will sound nicely, but I regret the choice of an automatic movement.

Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,

Best.

Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2015-03-16 00:01:51 This message has been edited by amanico on 2015-03-20 23:31:41

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