In the quiet vastness between time and the stars, Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils the latest interpretation of the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945, a celestial masterpiece reborn in a constellation of midnight blue enamel and pink gold. This chapter marks one of La Grande Maison’s most transcendent creations as the symphony of sidereal time, cosmic cartography, and chiming mechanisms converge into an even more poetic expression of haute horlogerie.
Given the immense complexity of this creation, it felt only fitting to begin with the vastness and timelessness of the night sky and cosmos. A triple-level dome-shaped Grand Feu enamel dial is dotted by a sky chart that depicts the positions of the Northern Hemisphere constellations seen from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s eternal home, Vallée de Joux. A calendar complication acts as the brains behind the sky chart as the rotation dial makes a full revolution around the dial in 24 hours, to indicate 24-hour time. While the shimmering Atomium lattice cradling the dial will receive its fair share of admiration, much attention will naturally shift towards the flying Cosmotourbillon. Crafted from 73 components suspended by a lightweight titanium carriage, Cosmotourbillon flitters with a lightness as it charts every 60 seconds in one rotation. Even though the intended purpose of a tourbillon is for the regulating mechanism to defy gravity, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s iteration records the passage of sideral time as it completes an anti-clockwise circuit of the dial in one sidereal day. Unlike a regular 24-hour solar day used for civil time, each sidereal day measures 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds, which is calculated by Earth’s rotation measured in relation to fixed stars, in this case, the sun.
The rarefied expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre Métiers Rares™ atelier does not stop at the visual aspects as the romance of celestial timekeeping is complemented by an exquisite aural concerto. Widely regarded as one of the most challenging complications to perfect, the minute repeater chimes the indicated hours, quarters and minutes on demand. The complexities of the minute repeater are multipronged as the master watchmaker has to ensure the chimes are harmonious, audible with the right cadence. As such the Métiers Rares™ atelier devised cathedral crystal gongs affixed on the rear sapphire crystal for maximum resonance, trébuchet hammers which drastically improves the acoustic qualities of the striking mechanism, and a silent governor to prevent unwanted distraction during the chiming recital.
The Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 is encased within an 80-part 18k pink gold case with micro-blasted, polished, and satin-brushed surfaces that maximise the play of light and emphasise the details. Although the masterpiece is intricate in its execution, La Grande Maison ensured ease of use as all functions and displays are set via the crown with the exception of the slider on the left case side that controls the minute repeater. Limited to just five pieces, the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 blurs the lines between mechanical ingenuity and cosmic poetry. The result is not a watch but a fragment of the firmament, something timeless but crafted by human hands.
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