If there is a watch which is almost never discussed, the Master Grande Tradition Minute Repeater is certainly one of them.
Unveiled in 2009, 4 years after the Master Minute Repeater in platinum, it came as a surprise. And surprisingly, its case and dial didn't receive any variation the years after.
Yes, this is a " one of its kind ", in yellow gold, limited to 100 pieces, inaugurating the new Master Grande Tradition case and line.
So, we have a 44 mm case, and a good 15 mm thick, redesigned, but not for the better, to be honest. We had to wait till 2015 to have a much more elegant case, with slimmer lugs, and a more appealing profile.
The 2009 case:
The 2015 second generation case:Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication:
And, since last year, the new Master Grande Tradition case, inaugurated by the Gyrotourbillon Five and the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar:
Here, the lugs are cumbersome, to say the least. I know, I may sound a bit harsh, here, but when we see the evolution from 2015, it is really obvious.
The details which make this watch unique are:
- The choice of yellow gold for the case, which we already mentioned. Duometre à Quantiéme Lunaire and Chronograph apart, there are not many other modern Jaeger Lecoultre with a yellow gold case.
- The design of the dial, the presence of a small seconds, and the hobnail / smooth parts.
- A minute Repeater associated to a Regulator: The hour and minute hands are not located in the same axis.
- The hand engraved bridge above the escapement wheel.
- Last but not least, the Cal 947R has a silicon escapement. No other Minute Repeater from Jaeger Lecoultre had one at that time. That's why Jaeger Lecoultre used a magnifier to better see it.
To tell you all, I would have loved to see this dial configuration in a white metal case from 2015 or 2019. And since we are at it, an enamel dial. Black, or White. I don't really care about the silicon escapement, personally.
What do you think?
Best,
Nicolas