It’s the fifth multi-axis tourbillon from the watchmaker but the first with a constant-force mechanism, Westminster chime and perpetual calendar.
The Westminster chime of the Big Ben in London is one that is familiar to everyone. Four phrases of melody, played in four notes four times per hour for each quarter of it.
This exact chime is the muse behind Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpetual.
Premiered at SIHH 2019, the new grand complication piece is the fifth multi-axis tourbillon from the watchmaker but it is the first multi-axis tourbillon with a constant-force mechanism, Westminster chime and perpetual calendar. Yes, you read right, that’s three complications in one – a gyrotourbillon, minute repeater and perpetual calendar.
Here’s what else is new with it.
A closer fit
As if housing three grand complication within it isn’t impressive enough, the maison has further found a way to make it more wearable with a redesigned tourbillon component so it is reduced in size. Incorporated within it is also a one-minute constant-force mechanism to provide consistent energy to the tourbillon for a jumping minute and more precise minute repeater.
Speaking of the minute repeater…
The sound of precision
The Westminster chime is played out beautifully by means of four sets of gongs and hammers. They are all also silence-reduced to optimise melody cadence so what you get is the purest, clearest chime every quarter of the hour. The in-built silence-reduction function ensures that there is no time delay corresponding to the missing quarters before the minutes are struck, resulting in hour, minute and quarter strikes that seamlessly joined.
The whirlwind of precision
The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpertual takes exploration of precision to new levels with its constant-force mechanism, developed with its own in-house tools to form the sophisticated spherical hairsprings used in some of its most evolved tourbillon watches. With the inclusion of the constant-force spring remontoir, the focus on precision is expanded far beyond the whirling dimensions of the tourbillon and its precision regulation. The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel constant-force mechanism highlights the precision of power delivery in one-minute cycles, the precision of time display in the jumping minutes hand and the precision of the repeater chime.
Learn more about the timepiece and other new debuts from SIHH at the official Jaeger-LeCoultre website here.
(Photos: Jaeger-LeCoultre)