Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced three fresh takes on its Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985, a movement that has become something of a calling card for the Manufacture since its debut in 2013. Two of the new models are presented in platinum with rich blue dials, one with a polished bezel, the other with 72 baguette-cut diamonds, while the third comes in pink gold with a deep brown dial. All three house the Calibre 985, which combines a perpetual calendar, a moon phase accurate to 122 years, and a cylindrical flying tourbillon fitted with the brand’s distinctive cylindrical hairspring.
The cylindrical hairspring, first devised in the 18th century and resurrected by Jaeger-LeCoultre, ensures concentric oscillations for greater isochronism, countering the effects of gravity and magnetism. It’s a detail that underscores the brand’s technical expertise and something only a handful of watchmakers can claim. The movement itself is a study in both complexity and finesse: 431 components, including a titanium tourbillon cage weighing just 0.386 grams, finished to the highest standards and visible through a sapphire caseback, where traditional hand-bevelling, blued screws, and a rose gold rotor catch the light.
Equally considered is the casework. Made up of over 80 parts, the Master Grande Tradition case combines polished, brushed, and micro-blasted surfaces, reserved only for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most complicated calibres. The dials are alive with nuance, micro-blasted minute tracks, opaline sub-dials that shift tone with the light, and calendar numerals engraved in relief. Even the seconds display nods to precision, with the tourbillon making a full rotation every 60 seconds while its three hands trace out 20-second intervals. The result is a trio of watches that balance mechanical gravitas with finely judged aesthetics, reinforcing Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reputation as both innovator and artisan.
