Jaeger-LeCoultre Bring Together Three of the Greatest…

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 will be unveiled in 18-Karat pink gold during the Precision Pioneer exhibition in Beijing in September, to be followed by a variant in white gold. The timepiece will be a limited edition of five pieces of each variant.

Jaeger-LeCoultre created its Hybris collection to bring together some of the highest watchmaking skills in a single piece. The timepieces that are designated Hybris Artistica complement the exceptional mechanics with sophisticated and complex artistic decoration.

Calibre 184 unites three of the greatest complications in the history of watchmaking – each of which represents a pillar of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmaking mastery: sound, precision and astronomical complications. In addition, the Hybris Artistica interpretation showcases the Grand Feu enamelling skills of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares™ atelier as well as the craft of lacquering.

Underlining the extraordinary sophistication of Calibre 184, it takes approximately five months to assemble its 1052 components. Very few watchmakers have mastered such a high level of skill and a single watchmaker works on the entire process from start to finish.

In keeping with the complexity of this timepiece, the Grande Tradition case comprises more than 80 components, with polished, brushed and micro-blasted finishes highlighting its sculptural form. For the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s designers have used the case-sides as a canvas to link to the new dial decoration, adding a plate on each side of the case featuring the same geometric pattern as the dial, executed in black lacquer.

Calibre 184 features the fifth iteration of the Gyrotourbillon, which returns to the original form of the 2004 Gyrotourbillon design. However, the mechanism has been completely re-engineered and its size significantly reduced. The reduced size made it possible to incorporate a minute repeater without adding much thickness to the calibre. Remarkably, the 94 components making up the Gyrotourbillon weigh just 0.4 grams.

The minute repeater of Calibre 184 plays the Westminster carillon – the melody made famous by the clocktower housing Big Ben at London’s Westminster Palace. This chime is rarely found in watchmaking due to the complexity of the mechanism needed to achieve it. Four hammers are required, rather than the usual two, and in Calibre 184, they are stacked in pairs so that they strike the gongs from the same angle. In mastering chiming mechanisms, Jaeger-LeCoultre has focused on ways to improve the sound, and Calibre 184 features several patented inventions: the trébuchet hammers, which strike the gong more solidly, and the crystal gongs, so named because they are connected directly to the front crystal, enabling a cleaner transfer of the sound and increased volume.

Viewed through the sapphire case-back, the reverse side of the movement is no less compelling. The plates have been open-worked to allow a view deep into the calibre, including a full view of the Gyrotourbillon, as well as the governor for the minute repeater, which uses friction and centripetal force to regulate the speed at which the time is chimed and reduces the silent intervals between chimes.

Uniting three great watchmaking complications with an exceptional degree of craftsmanship and artistry, the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 is eloquent testimony to the 180 skills housed within the Manufacture and reconfirms the place that Jaeger-LeCoultre holds in the world of haute horlogerie as the ‘Watchmaker of Watchmakers’™.

Technical Specifications:

MASTER HYBRIS ARTISTICA CALIBRE 184

Case: Pink Gold 750/1000 (18 Karats)

Dimensions: 43 mm x 14.1 mm thick

Calibre: Manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 184

Functions: Hours and Minutes, Perpetual Calendar with Day, Month, Year and Leaping Date, Minute Repeater with Westminster Chime, Gyrotourbillon with one-minute constant force mechanism

Power Reserve: 50 hours

Dial: Black Grand Feu enamel with golden geometric decoration; black sapphire sub-dial

Water resistance: 5 bar (approximately 50 metres)

Strap: Black alligator with small scale lining

Reference: Q5252470

Limited edition of 5 pieces

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS