Jaeger-LeCoultre High Jewelry : the art of exalting the time

High Jewellery and its craft traditions are characterised by the pursuit of excellence, a painstaking thoroughness, and minute attention to detail – their raison d’être is to produce a sense of wonder. The desire to exalt the present instant with beauty – unforgettable, stirring beauty – is the passion that drives each of the Manufacture’s artisans. Cinema is intimately bound up with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s world, akin to the craft of watchmaking in that same creative impulse that runs through its ingenuity and technical virtuosity.

Slowly, painstakingly, just as the master jeweller carefully selects each precious stone before skilfully setting it into the dial of a watch, actors and directors meticulously plan every detail of their films to breathe life into a gem that draws the spectator into its world. A talent for precision, exceptional know-how, selecting the very best tools – these elements are as much a part of the filmmaker’s and actor’s art as the jeweller’s. Being an artist means crafting emotions.

And when an actress at the height of her powers walks up the red carpet to collect the most glittering prize of her career, what better adornment than the sparkle of precious jewels on her wrist? Every day Jaeger- LeCoultre’s Rare Handcrafts « Métiers Rares™ » master jewellers enhance the Maison’s timepieces with a timeless brilliance that pays homage to the beauty of women.

Rendez-Vous Secret

A masterpiece of jewellery and watchmaking craftsmanship, this piece showcases the Grande Maison’s miniaturisation skills while reviving the aesthetics of a 1960s Jaeger-LeCoultre heritage watch. Cloaked in stones tending towards the blue, the Rendez-Vous Secret illustrates the lively creative spirit that remains everfresh among the Manufacture’s artisans. Its slightly domed lid is adorned with diamonds of brilliant, baguette, and marquise cut, in a setting with four different hues of brilliant-cut sapphires that depicts a flower, seemingly captured by the ice and held in endless frozen beauty. All the gem-setter’s talent is apparent in this composition that brings out the beauty of every single one of the 304 stones embellishing the Rendez-Vous Secret. This art calls for reflection as much as technical virtuosity.

Like a secret that is only shyly revealed, the lid of the watch opens partially to show the time. The Rendez-Vous line’s emblematic numerals appear against a delicate mother-of-pearl dial, entwined in the engraved ivy leaves hand-painted in a shade of blue. The charm of this face is magnified by a row of bright and pure blue sapphires.

Reverso One Duetto Jewelry

Eminently feminine with its luminous gem-setting and graceful dial, the Reverso One Duetto Jewelry draws inspiration from the earliest ladies’ Reverso models of the 1930s. Its fine, elongated features – magnified by the brilliance of the diamonds – are emblematic of Art Deco. The Manufacture’s artisan jewellers set the three iconic Reverso gadroons on either side of the dial with rows of brilliant-cut diamonds to bring a unique dazzle to this timepiece. On the front face, the stones set off the gentle shimmer of the Balinese mother-of-pearl dial, with its Arabic numerals that seem drawn by hand. The lines that define each corner of this face subtly emphasise the geometry of the timepiece and its Art Deco spirit.

On the reverse, black opal throws out mysterious glints reflecting myriad shades of blue – from midnight blue, through tinges of green, to indigo. This stone is given dramatic depth by a diamond setting, evocative of celestial rays. A satin strap of midnight blue brings out the ravishing beauty of this face.

And to further channel the period feel, the crown has been crafted with very Art Deco geometric facets that create a play of reflections from the rays of the sun.

Rendez-Vous Celestial

From the very first glance, the Rendez-Vous Celestial stands out with its enamel dial, its hand-painted disc of the sky made of lapis lazuli, its bezel set with different shades of sapphires, and its shimmering diamonds. This treasure trove of creativity draws inspiration from the once-in-a-lifetime impression left by the astonishing Northern Lights, and is softly powered by the rhythmic swaying of its automatic movement, the Jaeger- LeCoultre Calibre 809/1. Generously proportioned at 37.5 mm, this characterful watch offers a precise view of the movement of the constellations, as seen from the northern hemisphere. With its captivating hues ranging from deep blue to intense purple, it makes time more beautiful.

Jaeger-LeCoultre brought together all the inventiveness and creative virtuosity of its Rare Handcrafts « Métiers Rares™ » for this High Jewellery piece. The circle of baguette-cut sapphires around the bezel alone is a work of art. The play of light reflected off it like a mirror gives an impression that, while decorative, remains extremely well-balanced. The new Rendez-Vous Celestial is an invitation to dive into successive depths of blue, pink, and purple. Under these clear vaults of heaven, the exquisite gradation of colour continues around the case-band. The Rendez-Vous collection’s emblematic floral numerals on the upper part of the dial are skeletonised on a plate of white gold that elegantly matches the case’s preciousness.

Rendez-Vous Moon Medium

Offering a jewelled interpretation of a function much loved by those of a dreamy disposition, the Rendez-Vous Moon Medium watch expresses the Manufacture’s jewellery and watchmaking expertise.

The moon phase stands outs very clearly against an elongated dial with its textured finish. A carefully worked elliptical guilloché pattern adorns the heart of the dial, while its shimmering moon has a sand-blasted finish that creates a surprising impression of depth and relief. In this inspired way, the Manufacture’s artisans faithfully reproduce the many facets of the moon, as it reflects shifting hues over time. This emblematic function demonstrates remarkable accuracy, needing a correction of only one day every 972 years. Supremely feminine, this face is accentuated by a setting of brilliant-cut diamonds that heightens its brilliant sparkle. Something else is new, too: the discreet but notable role of the seconds hand, which emphasises the top-flight watchmaking expertise required for this model.

These works of jewellery-making art speak eloquently of the Grande Maison’s renewed desire to fire women’s imagination. It is an art practised every day within the Rare Handcrafts « Métiers Rares™ » workshop, where its most precious creations are born.