ReviewThe Spinning Dazzler: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon
Originally meant for women, but always celebrating the mechanical innovations and complications of haute horlogerie, the line continues in that spirit, with the latest Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon in pink gold and a serene blue
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For women, watches were more as pieces of jewellery that happened to have the practical function of telling time, while for men, the aesthetics came after the time-telling. It’s perhaps for this reason that the first ever wristwatches were made for women—as time-telling bracelets if you will—while men continued to carry timepieces in their waist pockets. Back then, who would have thought that wristwatches would be the norm, and pocket watches would be a novelty. Now for Jaeger-LeCoultre, making timepieces for women was important even back in 1800s, as they had enamelled and gem-set timepieces that ladies would wear as pendants or brooches. At the same time, innovation in mechanical watchmaking for women’s products was important to them as well. Which is why, as early as in 1929, they came out with the calibre 101, which was then, and is still to this day, the smallest mechanical movement ever made. It is in this spirit that in 2012, they introduced the Rendez-Vous line, an ode to the first wristwatches—which were made for women. And it was a collection that celebrated mechanical watches for women, even in this post-quartz era of timekeeping. Today the brand continue to strive towards this, with watches such as the latest interpretation of the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon.
Beyond The Origins Of The Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon
Housing what is considered by many as the most prestigious watchmaking ‘complication’ out there, the tourbillon is mostly seen in ‘watches for men’, and not as much in ‘watches for women’. But women could also appreciate advanced and complicated aspects of watchmaking and would probably like to see prestigious tourbillons and minute repeaters in typical jewellery timepieces as well.
(Side note: We at The Watch Guide do not draw distinctions between watches as being for women or men, as we believe that people shouldn’t feel compelled to choose what’s only ‘meant’ for their gender. However, for the sake of the origin story of the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon, we are focusing on the ‘feminine’ aspects of the line.)
Brand such as Jaeger-LeCoultre don’t shy away from catering to this demand. And just as they weren’t afraid to add a tourbillon to the Rendez-Vous collection in its year of inception, they continue to bring high watchmaking to this line—seen in the latest Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon as well. And the tourbillon is not hidden away. It is displayed proudly at six o’clock. All the while, the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon retains its essence as a jewellery timepiece, with the bezel studded with brilliant-cut diamonds, standing out against the 39mm 18-karat pink gold structure of the timepiece. The dial that this bezel frames also features this juxtaposition of gold and diamonds, encircling the central portion, and the tourbillon escapement at six as well.
Signature Details Of The Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon
Heightening the visual impact is the sunray finish of the serene blue dial that has a tinge of green, forming a perfect backdrop for the Arabic numeral hour markers in the Rendez-Vous series’ signature typeface. The dial of the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon reveals different colours when viewed from different angles, ranging from aquamarine to even a silvery grey. Perfectly complementing the serene blue face is the alligator strap in a matching hue.
Amid all these details, the centrepiece of the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon continues to be the tourbillon cage, with a finely polished gold hand acting as the running seconds. Meanwhile you can admire the hand-decorated tourbillon gears, just as you see the other movement finishing through the sapphire crystal caseback, which reveals the 45-hour automatic calibre 978.
The art of fine watchmaking decoration and finishing, just like the art of gem-setting, is admired by women and men alike. So while this collection began as one for women, one should remember that so did wristwatches. So what’s stopping gentlemen out there from sporting the Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon on their wrists! Moreover, we all know that watch sellers are referred to as jewellers internationally, so jewellery watches can certainly be for everyone.
The Jaeger-Rendez-Vous Jewellery Tourbillon in a nutshell
- Case: 18-Karat pink gold, 39mm; sapphire crystal caseback
- Water resistance: 50m
- Dial: Sunray-brushed serenity blue
- Gem-setting: 215 diamonds amounting to 2.52 carat
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, tourbillon
- Movement: Automatic 45-hour Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 978
- Power Reserve: 45 hours
- Case-back: Transparent sapphire crystal
- Strap: Interchangeable light blue alligator with folding pink interchangeable gold clasp
FAQs
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What are the different gem-setting techniques used in watches?
Based on diamonds or stones with varied cuts and where they’re fixed on the watch, different gem-setting techniques are devised—bezel setting, claw setting, pave setting, snow setting, and invisible setting. In a bezel setting, the stone is wrapped around the metal, thus securing it tightly in place. Similar to this is the claw setting, where the stone is held in place but by little claws. Pavé (French word for paved) setting is a more advanced technique of claw setting covering the dial, case, or bracelet of a watch. Lastly, in an invisible setting, the metal used in securing the stone is not visible to the wearer, hence the name.
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What are the different elements of a jewelled watch?
For a timepiece to come under the ambit of jewelled watches, it should be crafted with precious metals such as gold or platinum (rarely), embellished with diamonds—on the dial, bezel, lugs, or buckle–or other precious stones like rubies and sapphires, and feature a metal bracelet or strap (leather, textile, sustainable).
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What is a jewelled timepiece?
A jewelled timepiece is any watch that is adorned with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, or other precious stones. These stones are often used to enhance the watch's aesthetic appeal.
