An entirely new design, the 101 Secrets is set with almost 27 carats of diamonds. The most precious Calibre 101 timepiece created by Jaeger-LeCoultre to date, the rivière-style bracelet features a  new secret mechanism that enables the wearer to reveal the dial only when she wishes.

The 101 Bangle, first presented in 2020, has been reinterpreted in two one-of-a-kind pieces – one in pink gold with a red lacquer dial complemented by diamonds; and one in white gold with a  snow-white lacquer dial complemented by sapphires and diamonds.

Originally conceived and developed for jewellery watches and introduced in 1929 by La Grande Maison, Calibre 101 revolutionised feminine watchmaking – its minuscule size and baguette shape  offering new realms of aesthetic freedom to designers. Weighing barely one gram, the tiny, hand-wound calibre remains the smallest mechanical movement in the world to this day. It is also one of the world’s oldest movements to have remained in continuous production by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

101 Secrets – A New Design with a Hint of Art Deco Spirit

Defined by four rows of diamonds – two outer rows of claw-set diamonds set on either side of a double row of grain-set diamonds – the 101 Secrets forms a river of light and sparkle that flows  around the wrist, giving no hint of the timepiece concealed within it.

The tradition of secret watches dates back to the 19th-century, when pocket watches (then worn by both men and women) had cases with hinged covers – often richly decorated with enamel and  gemstones – that closed over the dial, protecting the glass from scratches. As women began to wear wristwatches early in the 20th century, the notion held that a lady did not need to have the time  constantly on display. Today, secret watches present a creative playground where jewellery and watch design are united to create pieces of exceptional beauty and genuine practical value.

The plural form of secrets in the name of this precious new timepiece refers to two elements of hidden magic. The first secret is the fact that this is a timepiece as well as a piece of jewellery: the  dial remains hidden until the wearer wishes to see the time. The second secret is a new mechanism concealed within the rows of diamonds – a feat of micro-mechanics so tiny that it remains  almost invisible, its position known only to the woman wearing the watch. When she presses gently on the hidden ‘button’, a small section of the bracelet pops open like the pages of a book,  revealing the time on a glowing mother-of-pearl dial. When she releases the button, the dial disappears and the bracelet once again becomes an endlessly flowing river of diamonds.

For the two outer rows of diamonds, the gem-setters chose the claw setting – a traditional technique that holds the stones above the surface of the gold, allowing light to pass through them from  every angle and maximising their sparkle. The larger diamonds are almost imperceptibly graduated in size and set in perfect symmetry – further testament to the gem-setters’ skill. The grain- setting of the inner rows of diamonds provide a visual anchor for the larger stones and, together with the diamonds framing the dial – visible when the watch is open – emphasise the Art Deco- inspired geometry of the design. Bringing even more light into the piece, the profile of the bracelet is also set with diamonds.

With a total of 1,024 diamonds (for 26.75 carats), the 101 Secrets represents a total of 182 hours of meticulous gem-setting, all undertaken in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s own Metier Rares™ workshop.

101 Bangle – Introducing Colour in Two One-of-a-Kind Reinterpretations

For the design of the 101 Bangle, first presented in 2020, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s designers took inspiration from the sweeping curves and strong lines of Art Deco and 20th-Century Modernism. Set  with almost 1,000 precious stones, the bracelet needs no clasp to hold it securely on the wrist; thanks to an ingenious hidden lock it can be opened and closed with a simple gesture.

For 2023, the Maison introduces colour to the 101 Bangle, presenting two new interpretations – each a one-of-a-kind piece.

On a pink gold bracelet, a delicate red lacquer dial creates a bold contrast to the white diamonds and complements the warm tone of the precious metal. To heighten the three-dimensional effect of the design, the 996 diamonds (19.7 carats) are graduated in size and the gem-setters have employed both the griffe- and grain-setting techniques to maximise the play of light on the gemstones.  Enhancing the sparkle even further, the profile of the bracelet is also set with diamonds.

On a white gold bracelet – the first time that white gold has been used for the 101 Bangle – the sweeping curves of the design are enhanced by a row of brilliant-cut sapphires, graduated in size and  wrapping all the way around the wrist. The blue of the stones is amplified by a row of sapphires set into the profile of the bracelet and enhanced by the cool tones of white diamonds, white  gold and a snow-white lacquer dial. With 347 sapphires (10.29 cts) and 645 diamonds (10.99 cts), this interpretation of the 101 Bangle represents a total of 21.28 carats of precious stones.

A Rich Heritage of Creativity and Technical Prowess

Imbued with the founder’s pioneering spirit, La Grande Maison began to develop watches for women in its early years, immediately understanding the tremendous aesthetic and technical  potential of timepieces that could also be worn as jewels and accessories. Over the decades since then, as social evolution has changed not only fashion and style but also the way femininity itself is  defined, the Manufacture has developed watches specifically for women that marry technical sophistication with creative design and aesthetic beauty in countless different ways.

As watchmakers sought to prove that precision and miniaturisation were not mutually exclusive, the Maison developed Calibre 101 in 1929. Half a century before the advent of computer-aided  design and production technology, it was a remarkable feat of miniaturisation and became recognized as the world’s smallest mechanical movement. Over the decades, the mechanism has  benefited from technical improvements in both materials and machining but its dimensions and architecture remain unchanged. The present generation of Calibre 101 has 98 components  (compared with the original 78), measures 14 mm x 4.8 mm, with a thickness of 3.4 mm (a volume of 0.2 cm3) and weighs barely one gram.

Due to the mechanism’s tiny scale, each of the components must be custom-produced and adjusted – in effect, making every Calibre 101 one-of-a-kind. Only a handful of watchmakers at the  Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture have ever mastered the skills necessary to produce and assemble movements at such a microscopic scale. Consequently, only a few dozen examples can be produced  each year.

Continuing the story of the remarkable Calibre 101, the three new timepieces showcase Jaeger-LeCoultre’s exceptional expertise in miniature watchmaking as well as the skills of the Maison’s gem- setters. With designers, watchmakers and jewellers all working together under one roof at the Manufacture, they represent a singular marriage of technical sophistication, creative design and  aesthetic beauty.

The post JAEGER-LECOULTRE INTRODUCES THREE NEW HIGH JEWELLERY TIMEPIECES TO ITS CALIBRE 101 COLLECTION appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Few months back, I was sitting with the team at Jaeger Le-Coultre discussing the new Polaris line introduced this year and how it fits the essence of a sporty elegant man who has the spirit of exploration and discovering in him. From there, an idea emanated: Why don’t we showcase the real spirit of Polaris in a real life adventure that tales with discovery, conquest, exploration and life changing experiences.

If you remember, back in 2015, I climbed the highest peak in Africa, Kilimamjaro; and I was wearing at that time the Jaeger Le-Coultre Master Compressor Chronograph.It was only logical, to continue the story we began but this time in Europe among the highest peaks in the continent. However, the twist this time is I would be actually climbing the mountain and not trekking – it was an entire new territories for me and totally different technical skills to learn

And so the adventure began! I flew to Chamonix where I set my base their for the first week. The idea was to spend 3 days learning about the climbing techniques on smaller mountains where we can practice and learn before we hit the summits of the Alpes.

Luckily, the weather was fantastic at that time which made it slightly easier to practice the rope techniques and to handle the many little gadgets you need to have for a safe climb. I had a dedicated guide throughout the training days and we were a team of 5 guys that I randomly met and became teammates for the trip.

The big challenges started from Day 2 where we took the train to a Glacier region to practice walking on glaciers, wearing crampons and using axes for climbing on ice. That was totally another world for me – I have never done any of those before in my life and never been exposed to such landscape before – in all honesty, it was amazing to walk on glaciers despite the fact that I tear off my trousers serial times with my crampons – felt like learning to walk all over again. The axe climb on Ice felt somehow safe just because in my mind, I had the feeling that if I ever fall on ice, I will be just fine and nothing will happen to me versus falling on rocks ( silly me of course!!!)

Once all basic techniques have been mastered – almost!!! Our guides decided to take us to the test on the rocks and start with our first climb the next day –

We took the telephonic up 3,000m to reach the station of L’Aiguille du Midi and climb what they call the Cosmic Ridge. Basically, it was an hour walk on ice downwards – then we had to climb up a ridge of crazy steep rocks the summit up ~2,000m and climb to the station where we end the day.

When we started the walk , I was a bit hesitant and not comfortable using my crampons on a very high mountain already with only a small path to fit one leg at a time going downward. My feet were trembling and my brain had all sorts of insane ideas popping up ( Will I fall on the left and drag with me my guide and attached colleague? will my crampons keep ripping off my trousers on each side? When will we start climbing? When will this end!!!) But soon enough, I got used to the terrain and started enjoying the walk until we reached the ridge.

When I saw this massive combination of steep rocks somehow attached one to the other to make up a mountain , I freaked out! How on earth am I going to climb this? there is no space for my feet to climb up!! What’s going to happen if I slipped? Will I break a neck or a back? Few minutes later, I found myself already 100s of meters above ground following the path and the steps my guide is performing to climb up. It seemed too easy watching him go up; but when it was my turn , that was another story!!!

For the next 3 days, this was my daily routine and same thoughts going into my head – however, I got more confident by the day and also the different locations we have travelled too. It seems we were a bunch of talented climbers and quick learners, so our guides decided to take us across the borders to Italy to sleep in a Hut and climb two superb peaks. I must admit, they were intimidating and quiet challenging to climb up and go down with a repel technique and not walking.

On another hand, the views up those mountains were breathtaking!! I never thought snow, and mother nature could hide such beauty and serenity until I reached the top of those mountains and looked around me – 360 degrees of calm, pure, untouched nature and peace of mind!! That feeling even momentarily was worth all the hassle and difficulties of the trip.

The training part has ended and my time in Chamonix had to come to its end; however this was not the end of the adventure of course! I had one final task to accomplish before heading back home – I travelled to Zermatt and settled down at their amazing ZermatHoff Hotel at the center of the village. As you know , Zermatt is the home of the MatterHorn, the toughest mountain to climb in Europe. At first, my initial aim was to go on that climb and conquer the MatterHorn, however several factors prevented me from doing so; among which: several people die from this climb because they went unprepared and technically not confident ( which was my case – it was too soon to do this climb); the weather conditions on the day of the climb were not favorable and the guide had to take the decision to cancel it anyways. We decided to summit the BreitHorn which is at 4,164m and is a very nice glacier and ice climb.

By far, this was the most enjoyable climb I have had in the trip and the most exciting one. Once up, I felt such a relief to have accomplished my goals for the trip and reached the top. At that summit, all peaks were visible, of which of course the mighty MatterHorn starring right back at me and waiting for me to conquer it next.

This experience was life changing and one of the most challenging ones that took me out of my comfort zone all throughout the expedition. I have met some great guides, great friends and enjoyed stunning scenery along the way. For all those who have a hunger for change, to challenge themselves and push their limits, this is one thing you definitely need to try.

Having the Memovox with me on the trip made it also a great conversation started and an ice breaker. Everyone looking at me wearing it versus a Sunnto or Gshock were not expecting to have such a mechanical watch on a wrist in those conditions. I must admit I thought I might get mugged a few times!! But then again, I needed to have with me an exciting watch for such a long trip; it’s part of the essentials to create great content along the way and enjoy a great watch on my wrist throughout the adventure. The best time to look at the Memovox was when it was pitch black in the Hut with nothing else but the indexes and the markers lume. I was the Master of Light in the dark 🙂

The post Polaris Memovox reaching 4,000m height at the Alpes & Breithorn appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.