In the heart of the Jura Swiss, the Joux Valley it embraces a serene and calm atmosphere through its woods and mountains. The purity of the sky reveals its deepest mysteries, making it the ideal place for astrologers to study the astral phenomenon. The new Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication takes advantage of over a century and a half of the maison's experience Jaeger-LeCoultre. This mechanical engineering masterpiece incorporates two of the most romantic yet technically demanding complications in watchmaking: a minute repeater and a celestial vault. The complex mechanism is made further "elevated" by an orbital flying tourbillon.

Considered by watchmakers to be the most challenging and rewarding of all watchmaking complications to master, a minute repeater is not only a timepiece but also a miniaturized musical instrument. One of the most important elements of a striking watch is how sound is transmitted from the watch to be heard by the human ear. Over the past 150 years, minute repeaters have had an important presence in the complicated watch portfolio of Jaeger-LeCoultre. The mastery of watches "chiming" of the Great Maison is confirmed by over 200 calibers, including around 100 minute repeater calibers made before 1900.

Taking advantage of the superior acoustic qualities of synthetic sapphire crystal, the "crystal gongs" patented by Jaeger-LeCoultre, produced in 2005, are soldered directly to the sapphire crystal, which acts as an amplifier. The caliber 945 gathers all the experience accumulated in the repeating mechanisms of the brand, since its foundation in 1833. The square profile gongs introduced two years later provide a flat percussion surface for the hammers, guaranteeing more consistent and powerful hits, while the additional material provides a greater vibratory mass and therefore a fuller sound. These jointed hammers called a trebuchet, introduced in 2009, use a mechanical principle similar to the medieval catapults from which they take their name, greatly improving the speed and strength of the hammer blow.

But even the best sound can be marred by background noise, which is a problem Jaeger-LeCoultre he solved 125 years ago, introducing the patent of his "silent strike governor". By using centrifugal forces to regulate the sound, it eliminates the background hum characteristic of old percussion mechanisms. Recognized as a landmark, it is now used in almost all striking watches of the Great Maison.

The new Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication embodies the mastery of astronomical complications of Jaeger-LeCoultre in its complication of the celestial vault. In order to represent an extraordinary map of the night sky of the northern hemisphere as seen from the 46th parallel, the latitude of the house of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the brand's talented watchmakers have invented a complex mechanism based on the sidereal day. Slightly shorter than a solar day, on which civil timekeeping is based, a sidereal day is based, on the other hand, on the Earth's rotation measured in relation to the "fixed" stars and this takes exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds. Sidereal day is used by astronomers to track the apparent movement of stars across the night sky. 

Ensuring the maximum accuracy of the watch, theOrbital Flying Tourbillon realizes a full and counter-clockwise of the dial on a sidereal day.

An exceptional movement deserves an exceptional "habillage" and the new Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication brings new artistic expression to the marriage of these complications. A multi-level dial amplifies the beauty of the celestial theme while showcasing the tourbillon moving in its "orbit". The delicate filigree that forms a dome represents the connection between astronomy and watchmaking. 

The case of the Master Grande Tradition it is a perfect complement to the art of the dial and the refinement of the movement. Made up of more than 80 parts, its convex bezel is complemented by wide bevels on the lugs, the flared sides of which add dynamic tension, while the back side where the minute repeater is positioned is tapered to harmonize beautifully with the sides of the case curve. The elegant finishes complement the refinement of the dial that elevates the watch into the galaxy ofHaute Horlogerie.