Jaeger-LeCoultre

amanico
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The " 1833 Collection ", a Tribute To JLC

1833 Collection, an opportunity to celebrate 175 years of JLC History.

The 7th of April 2008, JLC presents 4 watches, 4 Masterpieces in Rose Gold as a summary of its long History.

- The Master Ultra Thin, revisited for the occasion in a larger size ( 38 mm ).

- The Master 8 Days Perpetual Calendar Skeleton.

- The Master Minute Repeater.

- The Master Grand Tourbillon.

I first have to say that I find this idea excellent to sum this way the History of the Manufacture, as these 4 watches represent perfectly the skill, the competence, the artistic dimensions of the Brand, and its true values.

But I think, and that my only reserve, or deception, that there was a place for the Reverso, for one Reverso, here, between these 4 Time Keepers, as, for example a Tourbillon Skeleton in the same material, in Rose Gold, instead of the Master Grand Tourbillon.

I love a lot the diversity of these 4 Master....
From the extrem simplicity, purity of the M.U.T, to the complex but artistic and intrigant Master 8 Days Perpetual Calendar, from the magical aspect of the MMR which is a pure piece of poesy, to the majesty of a Tourbillon, JLC really covered all the complications, all the faces of its own world.

So, now, the watches, individually taken...

1st, the Master Grand Tourbillon:

The " Normal" watch Limited to 300 pieces, in platinum:



Now, the 1833 Master Grand Tourbillon:



This is a LE of 575 pieces, which receives a dedicated brown chocolate dial and a radial guilloché, with brown gold numbers in applique, rose gold hands, with the writing " 1833 ", just under the Jaeger Lecoultre Signature.

Although I find this combo magnificient, we're too close from the Master Grand tourbillon in platinum, and that's a bit why I'd prefer a more radical solution with Reverso Rose Gold Skeleton Tourbi, in a GT case, for instance.

But I have to say that this Chocolate dial Guilloché is something special and magnificient which compliments perfectly the Rose gold case, so I have finally some mixed feelings about it.

With a dimension of 43 mm, the watch is a bit heavy, due to the Rose Gold Construction, but it's very pleasant to wear, too.

I didn't take pics at the SIHH, as I planned to do it the last day, but there were too many people who wanted to touch it...So, finally, no pics.

2d: The master minute Repeater:

That is a piece I perfectly know, as I own the titanium version, so I was very curious to see in the flesh what this piece would bring, compared to mine.

And I had the answer!

Here's a pic of mine:



Here's the pic of the " 1833 " Edition:



I thought a lot when I saw this new version of the MMR, and I compared to mine.

I think that the Titanium gives to the watch a more evident concept watch look, due to the combo of the polished titanium and this spectacular open dial.

Use the same open dial, and put it in a Rose Gold case, and your watch will look totally different.

Now, the watch gains in elegance what it looses in concept watch look, but the concept remains spectacular, and surprising. I love a lot!

Here are some pics I reworked on photoshop to isolate a bit the particularities of this watch.

The " 1833 " Signature...



Ruthenium finished bridges, which contrast strongly with the rose gold hands and the case...



As for the other watches of this collection, the MMR receives a chocolate brown alligator strap fitted with a double folding clasp in Pink Gold which is more coherent than the SS buckle on my Titanium, or than the WG one on the Platinum!

At the end, I'm very happy to see this piece in this collection! Great find, JLC!

NB: This watch is limited to 175 pieces, instead of the 200 pieces in platinum and titanium.

3rd: The Master 8 Days Perpetual, skeleton:

Well, you all still have in mind the Platinum version of this watch, I took in pics some months ago.











We discussed a lot about the legibility of this PC, but I still consider it as a TRUE masterpiece, with a splendid work of skeletization on the movement, and the dial.

In platinum, this watch is awesome, discret, and perfectly finished.

In Rose Gold, for this " 1833 collection ", the result is amazing.
This is really an amazing watch, a pure beauty, and here more than with the MMR, the contrast between the Rose Gold and the ruthenium finish of the movement, is less surprising, as I never considered this watch as a concept watch, but as a classic one.

Here's the pic of the press file:



All is perfectly conceived and thought, on this PC...The Ruthenium skeleton movement, the little touches of Rose Gold of the hands, indexes and numbers, the very small touches of white to make the read easier on the PC informations, the warmth of the rose gold case...
This is a true hit!

For this watch, I took the opportunity to take some pics...

I wanted to highlight the work on the movement, first.

Front side:



Through the sapphire glass:



The Back side:



Through the sapphire glass,





And the mainplate, alone...



This is indeed a sculptural work.
I love a lot the idea of the planisphere movement decoration, and the play on the light that this design gives to the watch.

As for the MMR, the movement is ruthenium finished.

It's interesting to know that each movement of this perpetual calendar skeleton requires 2 months of work!

Now, let's have a look on the whole watch, to appreciate the contrast between the Rose Gold Case, and the Skeleton movement...

On the dial side, you will notice the discrete mention " 1833 " engraved on the glass, just under the Jaeger Lecoultre Signature, and you will appreciate the contrast above mentionned...
These little touches of rose are welcome, and make the perpetual calendar maybe more legible than in the platinum version.



The case back offers the same esthetical contrast, indeed.





The platinum version of the last year amazed me a lot, this rose gold pc is not less stunning, just a matter of taste, and in both cases, a superb demonstration of the difficulty to realize a skeleton PC without sacrifices on the legibility of all the indications.
IMHO, JLC did it perfectly, and this watch is a blast!

All this in a 41, 5mm case, and in a LE of 175 pieces.
A last advice, if you're tempted by this watch...Try it on your wrist, it's something to test...



4th, The Master Ultra Thin.

Even if it's not a complicated watch, horologically speaking, this watch is complex to realize.

The Cal 849 which is exactly the same than the one which equipped the previous model, is only 1, 85mm thick, one of the thicker in the whole watch production.

Compared to the previous version JLC launched this year a new Master Ultra Thin, in 38 mm for the manual movement, and in 40mm for the automatic version.

To judge the new " 1833 " MUT, let's first have a look on the previous model, here in platinum:



Look at this dial and please note that between the numbers and Five minutes indexes, you have no minute indexes stilized with small points.

Then the movement, viewed from the case back...



Here with a different finish, white gold + grey dial...



Now, the new MUT Family:

In the automatic version: 40mm case, 8,6mm only thick, and Caliber 3, 98 mm thick...



Automatic, with the small second at " 6 ".

Now the manual wind version, the true descendant of the MUT we all know:



The Case is 38mm diameter, the thickness is 6,31mm.

Now, the MUT " 1833 Collection "...

This is a MUT 38mm, with the caliber described above, in a specific presentation for the occasion, so a rose gold case, with a plain chocolate brown mat dial, and a crocodile strap in the same color with a pin or a folding buckle in rose gold, edited in a LE of 575 pieces.

Here's the result, a pure beauty, a top class watch, my favourite in all the MUTs presented this year...



I appreciate a lot the play between the applied numbers, the small minutes indexes, and this mat dial.

Another spectacular thing is indeed is thinness...
On this pic, you can see it better.



Really Ultra Thin, my friends!

I took a lot of pics of it, but I won't post them as they are catastrophically bad, the problem being that you can't catch the beauty of the brown dial with a poor or a too agressive light, and that this watch, as the MMR in Rose Gold were the big attractions of the SIHH...

Well, guys, the truth is that I always had in front of me these 2 charming JLC women, and that I lost a bit my natural and legendary concentration...It doesn't help to take good pics, except of them! LOLOL





Hello, Caroline ( on the left ) and Benedicte ( on the right ), it was a pleasure to meet you in real!

Back to the MUT " 1833 ", I wore it for a while, and I can say that this is one of th best watch to wear.....
all in contrast.

You think small with 38mm, but on the wrist, due to the very open dial, it looks like a 40 mm one.

The thinness is something amazing, even more amazing than with the 34mm, due to the 4mm bigger case....Perfect on the wrist, as a PP Calatrava can be, but even thinner than a PP.

So, I was very pleased to see such a Manufacture presenting this year a nice summary of its skill in Horology...
They made in the past some beautiful Grandes Complications, Perpetual Calendars Minute Repeaters, Tourbillons, and Ultra Thin Pocket Watches.
It was necessary , through this 1933 Collection, to have in mind this glorious Past, with these 4 nice pieces.

I think it's now time to choose which of these one will get a place into our Basket...LOL

A bonus, all the important JLD dates, I found in a press file...I believe this is the good occasion to post them:

1559 Pierre LeCoultre arrives in the Vallée de Joux
1612 Pierre II LeCoultre founds the village of Le Sentier
1730 The LeCoultre forge is established
1833 Founding of the Manufacture
1844 Invention of the Millionometer
1847 Invention of the pivoting winding mechanism
1851 Gold medal at the World Fair in London
1858 Elie LeCoultre helps his father Antoine
1866 A new building: LeCoultre becomes the first Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux
1870 First complicated calibres
1874 A new building
1880 Jaeger is founded in Paris
1888 A new building
1890 The Manufacture produces 156 calibres
1890 The first Grande Complication models
1900 Jacques-David LeCoultre is in charge of production
1903 Jacques-David LeCoultre meets Edmond Jaeger
1907 Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 145, the world’s thinnest movement
1912 Extension of the Manufacture
1915 Aviation and automobiles
1925 Invention of the Duoplan watch
1927 A new building
1928 Invention of the Atmos clock
1929 Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101, the world’s thinnest movement
1930 Chronoflight
1931 8-day twin-barrel wristwatch
1931 Birth of the Reverso watch
1932 “Baguette” table clock
1933 A new building
1937 Official birth of the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand
1938 Compass miniature camera
1946 Jaeger-LeCoultre tourbillon Calibre 170
1946 First automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre watch
1950 Birth of the Memovox
1953 Futurematic
1953 Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 803, 1.64 mm thick
1956 First automatic wristwatch with an alarm
1958 Geophysic Chronometer
1959 Memovox Deep Sea. First diver’s watch equipped with an alarm
1965 Memovox Polaris
1967 Participation in the Beta 21 movement
1972 A new building
1976 Jaeger-LeCoultre automatic, thin, high-frequency Calibre 900
1982 Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 601, the world’s thinnest quartz movement
1983 Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 889
1987 Jaeger-LeCoultre mechaquartz Calibre 630
1989 Grand Réveil
1990 Géographique
1991 Reverso 60ème
1992 Master Control 1000 Hours
1994 Reverso Duo
1997 Reverso Duetto
1997 A new building
1999 Atmos du Millénaire
2000 Jaeger-LeCoultre joins the Richemont Group
2002 Master Compressor Memovox
2003 Reverso Platinum Number Two
2003 Atmos Mystérieuse
2004 Gyrotourbillon I
2005 Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre
2006 Reverso grande complication à triptyque
2007 Duomètre
2007 Master Compressor Extreme Lab
2007 Opening of the Heritage Gallery
2008 4 pink gold limited series marking the 175th anniversary of the Manufacture
2008 Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2
2008 First stone of a new 9,000 square-metre building

Hope you liked this topic, and looking forward your comments...
Best to All!
Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-04-15 07:31:03 This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-04-20 11:40:25

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