Jaeger-LeCoultre has unveiled its new "Duomètre Grande Complication Grande Sonnerie." Reinterpreting the Cal.182 movement that debuted in 2009, this unique timepiece features 15 complex mechanisms, including a Westminster-style grande sonnerie, and boasts enhanced acoustic performance and robustness.
A unique piece that reinterprets the Cal.182.
In 2009, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Cal. 182, the brand's first chiming grand complication for watches. The new "Duomètre Grande Complication Grande Sonnerie" is a new interpretation of that movement. It integrates 15 complications, including a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, retrograde perpetual calendar, and flying tourbillon, into a hand-wound movement consisting of approximately 1300 parts.
Jaeger-LeCoultre's new unique piece, the "Duomètre Grande Complication Grande Sonnerie," features an openworked dial combining dark blue-gray lacquer and 18K pink gold. The hour, minute, and date displays have been enlarged by 30% in diameter compared to the previous model, improving legibility. Manual winding (Cal. 182). 116 jewels. 28,800 vibrations/hour. Power reserve of approximately 48 hours. 18K pink gold case (45mm diameter, 16.16mm thickness). Unique piece. Price upon inquiry.
The most distinctive feature is the chime mechanism, which employs four gongs and four hammers. Combining the four notes E, C, D, and G, it plays a melody in the style of the Westminster chimes, famously associated with London's Big Ben. The Gradsonnerie automatically plays the melody and strikes the hour every 15 minutes, and plays six phrases of four notes each, for a total of 24 notes, on the hour. In this model, the length, shape, and mounting method of the gongs have been improved, and the acoustic performance has been enhanced by using titanium for the inner case and the bezel of the case back.
This complex mechanism is supported by the Duomètre concept developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2007. It provides separate mainsprings and gear trains for the time/calendar display and the chime mechanism, minimizing the impact of the complex mechanism's operation on timekeeping accuracy. The mainspring for the time/calendar provides approximately 48 hours of power reserve, while the chime mainspring in Grande Sonnerie mode enables 616 tones, allowing for approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes of continuous chiming.
The dial has also been significantly redesigned. The openwork area has been expanded, and the diameter of the hour, minute, and calendar display has been increased by 30%. Dark blue-gray lacquer and 18K pink gold are combined, and it features a retrograde date, day, and month display, as well as two power reserve indicators. The movement has been treated with nine different finishes, including sandblasting, perlage, and Côtes de Genève, and the beveling of the 251 parts alone takes approximately 87 hours.
The 18K pink gold case measures 45mm in diameter and 16.16mm in thickness. It features a titanium inner case and is fitted with a black alligator strap. In addition to eight patents, including six obtained for the Cal.182 movement, the buckle also incorporates patented technology with a micro-adjustment mechanism. This is a unique piece, with only one unit ever produced.
