Jaeger LeCoultre Reveal The 101 Secrets Watch Set With 1,000 Diamonds

With a new interpretation of the High Jewellery 101 Secrets watch in Platinum 950, Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to enrich the Calibre 101 collection.

First presented in 2023 in diamond-set pink 18ct gold, the 101 Secrets timepiece required hundreds of hours of research to create an entirely new design.

The ultimate objective of watchmaking – precision – is of fundamental importance to Jaeger-LeCoultre, which makes it a focal theme in 2024. With this focus, La Grande Maison continues in the footsteps of founder Antoine LeCoultre who, from his first workshop in 1833 in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux, built his own tools to develop the smallest components in order to produce the most precise and accurate calibres. Nearly 100 years later, this quest for miniaturisation was taken to the extreme when Calibre 101 was developed in 1929.

The smallest manually-wound mechanical watch movement in the world, Calibre 101 has sparked the imaginations of many designers since 1929. Both decorative and useful, this object of beauty has been developed over the decades into countless creations crafted from noble metals, often decorated with precious gems and accompanied by a fascinating array of straps and bracelets.

When Calibre 101 was created, jewellery and cocktail watches worn by women of high society were more often considered fashion accessories than time-telling objects. This corresponded to the notion that ladies of the social elite led leisurely lives and did not need constant reference to the passing of time. The ultimate discretion was the secret watch, which evolved from 19th century pocket watches featuring hinged covers that closed over the dial – originally designed to protect the glass, not conceal the time.

With 101 Secrets, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes a step further, with not one, but two secrets hidden within the watch – the first is the dial itself, which must be revealed to see the time, and the second is the mechanism that activates the dial cover.

The development of the 101 Secrets watch required hundreds of hours of research and 15 different areas of expertise, combining traditional techniques and new technologies, to perfect the design of the case, the opening and closing mechanisms, the precisely articulated bracelet and the positioning of the gemstones.

The manually-wound movement, Calibre 101, is also a remarkable feat of miniaturisation and precision. With 98 components, the entire movement measures just 14 mm x 4.8 mm with a thickness of 3.4 mm and weighs just one gram. Despite its minuscule size, it provides a power reserve of 33 hours. It requires 40 hours to hand-assemble the miniature movement, a specialised skill that very few watchmakers have mastered.

The bracelet is set with 1,028 diamonds (26.21 Carats), each stone precisely positioned using two different setting techniques: a double row of grain-set diamonds edged with two outer rows of griffe-set diamonds. With 182 hours required for gem-setting, this timepiece is a true testament to the savoir-faire housed in the Métiers Rares™ atelier of La Grande Maison. The larger, griffe-set diamonds are almost imperceptibly graduated in size and set in perfect symmetry, while the inner rows of grain-set diamonds provide a visual anchorage for the larger stones, emphasising the Art Deco-inspired geometry of the design.

Continuing the story of the remarkable Calibre 101, the 101 Secrets watch in platinum showcases 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 in Le Sentier, La Grande Maison represents a unique combination of technical sophistication and creative imagination.

Technical Specifications:

101 SECRETS – PLATINUM

Material: Platinum 950

Diameter: 29.07 x 12.22 mm

Thickness: 9.88 mm

Movement: Manually-wound, Calibre 101/5

Power Reserve: 33 hours

Functions: Hours, minutes

Dial: Mother-of-pearl

Bracelet: set with brilliant-cut diamonds; wrist size 160 mm

Stones: 1,028 brilliant-cut diamonds – 26.21 Carats

Reference: Q2873220