JAEGERLECOULTRE

The Swiss manufacture’s latest masterpiece shows how even familiar complications can be improved upon

Jaeger‑LeCoultre is known for high and grand complications that are developed and produced in‑ house. In this tradition – and unveiled at SIHH amid a general dearth of complicated watches – the manufacture’s latest marvel is the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel.

The Gyrotourbillon is the brand’s proprietary take on multi‑axis tourbillons, which ostensibly negates timekeeping errors due to gravity by constantly rotating the balance and escapement through every possible orientation. The manufacture’s fifth iteration of the device, it’s some 15 percent smaller than its predecessor, which not only helps create a more wearable watch, but also makes space for other complications.

Indeed, the timepiece’s name hints at the rest of its complications, beginning with the Westminster minute repeater, with four sets of gongs and hammers instead of the usual two – so that instead of a pair of high and low notes for each quarter, it plays segments of the Big Ben chimes.

The perpetual calendar in this watch has likewise been modified. Its biggest improvement over “traditional” perpetual calendars is its ability to be adjusted both forward and backwards, which makes correcting the date display a cinch. Finally, there’s the movement’s remontoir d’égalité constant‑force mechanism, which uses a tiny secondary spring to “feed” a regulated amount of energy to the escapement once every minute. This doesn’t just improve timekeeping precision, but also has the added effect of creating a jumping minutes hand.

The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel comes in two versions. Both are in white gold, with one sporting a blue flinqué enamel dial and the other a silver grained dial. Only 18 pieces are available in total.