Jaeger-LeCoultre

tony p
567

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Thanks Nicolas for this fascinating interview.

Full marks, these were very pertinent and searching questions.

I'm amazed you were able to stick to the script. Confronted with the ridiculously pulchritudinous Ms Metrailler, I would have probably thrown my notebook out the window and stuttered, "...um....ah.....will you marry me?"

It's particularly interesting to find out that Magali designed the Gyrotourbillon II. I had always assumed that the Reverso range was the sole domain of Janek - no trespassers allowed. When I saw the Gyro II in the flesh, my first thought was "classic Janek". (Actually, that was my second thought. My first thought was, "If I sold everything I own, how much money would I have? Enough?")

Now it turns out that the Gyro II is a Magali creation. Well, who woulda thunk it...It's actually fascinating to try and imagine the creative paths Magali trod to arrive at this design. Firstly, there are so many Janek elements in it - the classical precision of the dial, the discreetly shaped and proportioned blued hands, the gorgeous 90 degree sweep of the power reserve register on the obverse face...

Secondly, there is a reference to tradition in the Gyro II"s deployment of classic finishing techniques (such as the Clous de Paris decoration) which we have not previously seen in Magali's work. It's as if she has quite consciously decided to efface herself from the watch altogether in order to allow a greater purity to the design.

If this is the case, then it shows a new maturity to Magali's work which I  wholeheartedly applaud. The singularity of her vision, so clearly seen in the Compressor range, the Amvox, and the Extreme Lab, has established Magali unassailably as an important watch designer. Now she is in a position to sit back and design a watch - an important watch, JLC's most significant offering for 2008 - and instead of striving to make her own inimitable stamp upon its appearance, Ms Metrailler is astute and big-hearted enough to pay quiet homage to the Swiss tradition as well as a few of the visual signatures of her senior design partner at JLC.

By the way, I agree with Magali on another point: the Compressor Chrono is really one of her most successful designs.

Cheers
Tony P

Site Info.