ReviewA Date With Diamonds: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous Collection
Embodying the phrase ‘beauty with brains’, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous line is an alluring collection of timepieces that tastefully balances the use of precious materials with stunning complications housed within
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Challenges for Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre, are an opportunity not just to live up to their history and culture of innovation but also to create stunning timepieces and accessories that set a sort of benchmark in the world of horology. Their Reverso timepiece is a fine example of this. Rising to the challenge to create durable watches for British polo players in India, the Reverso was born in 1931. But long before that, in 1901, Jacques David LeCoultre accepted Parisian watchmaker Edmond Jaeger’s challenge and developed and manufactured the ultra-thin LeCoultre Calibre 145, only 1.38mm thick. This small, 122-year-old calibre is still an inspiration for watches housing small calibres created by Jaeger-LeCoultre, as well as other brands. Then, in 1929, Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Calibre 101, a tiny mechanical movement that weighed only one gram. This magnificent miniaturised movement was used in the brand’s first wristwatches, created as accessories for women, for while men had their pocket watches, at the time, women had neither pockets nor watches. Among the first watchmakers to create jewelled watches for women, Jaeger-LeCoultre were also the first to create a calibre dedicated to women’s watches. Unlike most other watchmakers, who resized their existing calibres (those created for larger men’s watches) to fit their smaller women’s watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre started from scratch to create something exclusively for women, and thus, the Rendez-Vous collection was born in 2012.
Featuring thinner, more complex watches with precious materials and diamonds, these timepieces were designed like ornaments, and instantly found their footing in the watchmaking world. Just as gorgeous, though not as angular as the Reverso, the Rendez-Vous collection has gained a loyal following among women—and men—who appreciate fine craftsmanship and stellar mechanical movements in their timepieces. Diamonds make an appearance on almost every Rendez-Vous timepiece—on the bezel, lugs, crown or even within the dial. While the collection was originally created for women, today, it appeals to anyone who likes a little bling. For, the distinction between men’s and women’s watches has faded considerably, and diamonds are no longer only a girl’s best friend.
Nuances That Define The Rendez-Vous Collection
The case
While sizes of various timepieces within the collection may differ, the shape of the case remains the same—be it the Rendez-Vous Classic, Jewellery or Dazzling series. The collection comprises round cases, with curved, ergonomic lugs, in stainless steel, or precious metals like pink gold and white gold.
Lettering on the dial
A unique, stylised serif font that Jaeger-LeCoultre calls their ‘florale’ font, can be seen decorating every Rendez-Vous dial. The curvaceous, shapely lettering, along with the ‘floral’ losange timekeeping hands—like elegant, exaggerated and elongated swords—are instant identifiers of the collection.
Exhibition caseback
For the brains on these beauties, the manufacture leave the casebacks open to allow a beholder to admire the stunning mechanical movements within. While the calibres power different functions, what the Rendez-Vous collection has in common is the exhibition caseback on all their mechanical models.
Precious stones
Rendez-Vous timepieces are characterised by their diamonds and other precious gems set on the bezel, lugs and case, crown, as hour markers or in a ring within the dial. The Dazzling line features a double row of differently-sized diamonds in a prong setting to better reflect light from all angles. The stellar quality of diamonds and the prong setting especially display Jaeger-LeCoultre’s jewellery and watchmaking savoir faire.
Displays on the dial
Be it a date window, moon phase display, perpetual calendar, day-and-night indicator, or a shooting star, the complication is displayed proudly on the dial, usually within a circular opening at six o’clock.
Interchangeable straps
The timepieces come mounted on alligator leather straps in shades of blue, black, brown and beige, and graceful, five-link steel or rose gold bracelets that are easily interchangeable.
Night-And-Day Indicator
Among the first Rendez-Vous timepieces released in 2012 was the Night & Day, with a jewel-encrusted bezel and the night-and-day complication displayed conspicuously on the dial. Available in a 29mm or 34mm case size, the Classic Night & Day is powered by the automatic mechanical calibre 898A/1, which can be viewed through the display caseback. With its blued hands and stunning guilloche decoration on the dial, this timeless design is still the most recognisable Rendez-Vous to this day.
So timeless, in fact, that there are two slightly larger 36mm Dazzling versions of this Night & Day model, featuring a double row of diamonds on the bezel, extending all the way down to the lugs and the crown. Available now in dials made from mother-of-pearl or the beautifully handcrafted guilloche pattern, and numerals in rose gold, blue or black, blued steel or rose gold hands, with or without diamonds on the bezel, and various strap options, the Classic Night & Day is indeed timeless.
Moon-Phase Indicator
The Rendez-Vous Classic Moon features a moon shielded partially by beautifully guilloche-decorated clouds in a circular window at six o’clock. The case of the Classic Moon measures 29mm or 34mm, and houses the automatic mechanical movement 925A/1, with hours, minutes, seconds and the moon phase functions.
In the Jewellery version of this timepiece, the moon phase indicator sits against a stunning background within, in a large oval sub-dial that takes up most of the watch face, with stars arranged in constellations, while the numerals form a circular arc around this starry sky. This Jewellery Moon, sized at 36mm, runs on the calibre 935, with timekeeping and moon phase functions, and what the brand call their ‘Rendez-Vous indictor’. A hallmark of the Jewellery series, this hand-polished golden star discreetly marks a certain time, as set by the wearer.
Perpetual Calendar
With three sub-dials that indicate the day at nine o’clock, date at three, and month at six o’clock, and a fourth with a moon phase indicator at 12, the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Perpetual Calendar also features the year in a small window near eight o’clock. For this timepiece, the ‘florale’ numerals have been replaced with diamond-studded indexes, which match the diamonds on the bezel and lugs. The 37.5mm case houses the brand’s calibre 868/1, which is visible through the exhibition caseback.
Tourbillon
The 39mm Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon, powered by the automatic calibre 978, features a tourbillon floating between the sapphire crystal on both surfaces of the watch. Interrupting both the mother-of-pearl dial and the profile of the case are rings of diamonds.
The Rendez-Vous collection, with its distinctive design codes and alluring personality powered by accurate movements, is the epitome of elegance. By creating these functional ornaments with stunning complications, Jaeger-LeCoultre prove once again that no challenge will go overlooked when the manufacture choose to dazzle with their fine craftsmanship with both watches and jewellery.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
Q3572430
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
Q3578430
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
Q3432570
