SpotlightRevealing The New Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 Secrets Watch In Platinum

Equipped with the world’s smallest mechanical movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Calibre 101 collection combines fine watchmaking with haute joaillerie brilliantly. In 2023, after hundreds of hours of research, the brand launched the first 101 Secrets watch in an 18-karat pink-gold material. This year, they have returned with a dazzling platinum version. Adorned with over 1,000 diamonds, this bracelet watch is a stunning spectacle of shimmering sophistication, blending the skills of miniature watchmaking and high jewellery effortlessly.

Calibre 101: Humble Beginnings

Calibre 101 was developed in 1929 following the footsteps of the brand’s founder, Antoine LeCoultre, who built his own tools to create accurate movements using the smallest components, thus pioneering miniaturisation. It emerged at a time when cocktail and jewelled watches worn by high-society women were considered mere fashion accessories. Back then, there was a notion that the women of the social elite led leisurely lives and so didn’t need to keep track of time. This resulted in the introduction of secret timepieces inspired by the 19th-century pocket watches, featuring hinged covers over the dials to protect the glass.

The latest timepiece to house the miniature Calibre 101 is the Secrets timepiece in platinum with a hidden dial on the diamond-studded bracelet

Along with the dial, another secret that is concealed within this marvel is the mechanism that reveals the delicate dial on demand

Over the years, the Calibre 101 has powered many timepieces, often adorned with precious gems and attached to a bracelet or strap. The latest timepiece to house this miniature movement is the 101 Secrets timepiece in platinum with a hidden dial on the diamond-studded bracelet. Along with the dial, another secret that is concealed within this marvel is the mechanism that reveals the delicate dial on demand.

Read more about the Calibre 101

Beating at a frequency of 21,600vph, the calibre 101 powers the hour and minute functions of the new Secrets watch, offering an energy reserve of 33 hours

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 Secrets Watch In Platinum

The new 101 Secrets watch, measuring 29.07mm by 12.22mm, is crafted from platinum 950, a material twice as hard as gold. Its bracelet is embellished with 1,028 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling 26 carat), arranged in four rows and set using two different techniques: grain setting and griffe setting. Emphasisng the art deco-inspired design, the outer two rows of diamonds are griffe-set, while the inner two rows, with smaller diamonds, are grain-set. This meticulous gem setting required 182 hours to complete. The watch features a mother-of-pearl dial hidden beneath these rows of diamonds, revealed only on demand by the wearer, using a secret mechanism, activated by a ‘diamond’ button. Another tiny, hidden mechanism is used for the clasp that fastens the bracelet to the wrist.

The bracelet is embellished with 1,028 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling 26 carat), arranged in four rows and set using two different techniques: grain setting and griffe setting

The watch features a mother-of-pearl dial hidden beneath the rows of diamonds, revealed only on demand by the wearer, using a secret mechanism, activated by a ‘diamond’ button

Composed of 98 components, the manual-winding in-house calibre 101 weighs just 1g, measuring 14mm by 4.8mm with a thickness of 3.4mm. Beating at a frequency of 21,600vph, it powers the hour and minute functions, offering an energy reserve of 33 hours.

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The 101 Secrets – Platinum In A Nutshell

• Case: Platinum 950, 29.07mm
• Dial: Mother-of-pearl
• Functions: Hours, minutes
• Movement: Manual-winding calibre 101; 33-hour power reserve
• Bracelet: Platinum, set with brilliant-cut diamonds
• Stones: 1,028 brilliant-cut diamonds—amounting to 26.21 carat