Hands-On with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Minute Repeater

It's not everyday that one gets to play with an expensive watch, so obviously, when given the chance, one would drop everything and take up the offer.

The timepiece in question is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition A Repetition Minutes

Minute repeaters are extrememly underrated as a complication in the Haute Horology department, simply because it offers little visual stimulation, unlike, say... a tourbillon. A lot of minute repeaters are also very conservatively/traditionally styled, meaning if you didn't catch the lever on the side of the case, you just wouldn't know.

There is a brilliant depth to the dial, and depending on how you catch the light with the watch you can clearly see the different layers. I tried to capture this with my iCamera to no avail. But even then it is something that must be seen in person to fully appreciate.

Something else that can only be fully appreciated and realised is the crispness of the tone from the minute repeater. I reckon it's crisper than the air on a winter morning. It's a major art form to 'tune' the gong to get the 'best' sound.

 (Please excuse the dodgy iVideography)

Here are some technical mumbo jumbo from the press release for those of you more technically-inclined...

"The product of a lengthy research process, its crystal gong, made of a material that remains a trade secret, represents a major innovation in sound. This material propagates sound waves at a remarkable speed, which ensures that the vibrations are maintained and can sound with their full melodic intensity. The Master Minute Repeater’s gong has other distinctive characteristics, including a square section that thins down as it nears the heel so as to further optimize resonance. For the same reason, the gong and its support are formed of a single block."

Now I don't know if minute pepeater watches are harder to make than tourbillons, or simply because there are more people making tourbillons, prices for the repeaters are much higher than your average tourbillons. It is a more "practical" complication and of course, not every watchmaking "maison" can make/buy one, let along make one that sound this good. So in that regards, this JLC minute repeater, all things considered, is priced extremely well, and given the Tivan15 case (Titanium/Vanadium) it's also light on the wrist, and much tougher than the precious metal encased repeaters.

RRP AUD191,000

Only 1 piece available in Australia/New Zealand (Limited Edtion No. 19/100)

TECH SPECS

Reference: Q501T450
Movement: Cal. 947 Jaeger-LeCoultre in-house mechanical manual wind minute repeater. 21,600 v/h, 413 parts
Functions: Hour, minute, 15 day power reserve, barrel torque indicator. Minute repeater featuring  hour, quarter-hour and minute
Case: TiVan15 (Titanium/Vanadium)
Crystal : sapphire on both sides
Water resistance : 5 atm
Size: 44 mm.
Height : 15.6 mm
Dial: Ruthenium Skeletonised
Strap: Alligator strap, folding clasp
Limited edition: 100 pieces

[o] is an employee of JLC, hence access to such a piece...

Minute Repeaters

The January 2011 issue of International Watch had a feature article on repeater watches. They were, with one exception, mechanical watches, and of course as this is a serious complication, the entry level prices were considerable.

Most of the big names in horology were represented, and the prices ranged from $48,000 for a Perrelet 5-minute repeater to $639,000 for a Vacheron Constantin Calibre 2755 which also features a tourbillion, though some watches had no price or were POA.

My first choice would be the F.P.Journe Répétition Souveraine, a beautifully slim and elegant timepiece, unusually in stainless steel, as Journe believes stainless steel is the best conductor of sound and a natural choice when making a chiming watch. No price is mentioned for this masterpiece.

My second choice would be the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Minute Repeater at $193,300. 

To come back down to earth for a moment, the only quartz watch in the article was the Campanola Minute Repeater made by Citizen as one of their high-end and affordable watches. At a retail price of $3,900 it was by far the cheapest of the watches mentioned. 

The Campanola is not available in Australia, though it can be purchased in the USA or of course in Japan.

Citizen does however, have another minute repeater watch which is available in Australia.

This is the Calibre 9000. It was and still is, available here, even though it has been discontinued by Citizen, who are no longer manufacturing it. It is available in several different variants at a price of around AUD$750, though it has been discounted at various times.

It is one of Citizen’s Eco-Drive watches, and so requires no battery. When fully charged by light falling on the dial, it has a power reserve of 270 days. Provided that you don’t shut it up in a box for a long time, it will keep going without any assistance, given occasional access to light.

The following shows the white dial version which comes with a black leather strap which looks like croco but is probably not at the price. It has a deployant clasp with a press button release. The case is 42mm in diameter and is 14mm thick.

Purchased new it has a 5 year warranty.

I should mention that it also a perpetual calendar with a dual time function and two alarms. There is also a date display.

The case is solid 316L stainless steel and the crystal is mineral with a very slight dome profile which is anti-glare treated.

The hands are a lozenge shape, solid black in outline and lume filled. They have excellent visibility at night but of course it’s hardly necessary, as it is a minute repeater and the time is chimed out by pressing the button at 2 o’clock, so even if you can’t see, it will tell you the time.

Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater

A little while ago I blogged about a very special Seiko, the Limited Edition Astron. BaselWorld 2011 brings another new commemorative watch from Seiko, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year.

Meet the almost half a million dollar (yes you read correctly) Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater, the brand’s first minute repeater, and what a way to start.

This special timepiece has two cases; an inner one for the movement, and an outer one. The gongs are located in the space between these two cases, to achieve a clear and rich sound. The gong itself is made by Japanese steelmaker Munemichi Myochin, a 52nd generation master blacksmith, using the same steel as used in traditional Japanese wind chimes, and replicating its pure sound.

While most minute repeaters follow the traditional hour, quarter and minute system, the Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater has a decimal system. The hammers strike the hour, ten-minute and one-minute sounds. This system was chosen as being more in keeping with the high technology character of the movement. It is perfectly logical and simple. At one fifty nine, the hour sound is struck once, the ten-minute sound is struck five times and the one-minute sound is struck nine times.

SPECIFICATIONS

Ref. GBLS998
Movement : Caliber 7R11. Manual winding. Decimal minute repeater.
Jewels : 112 jewels
Power reserve: 72 hours (without using the minute repeater mechanism)
Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month
Movement : Diameter 36.6 mm, thickness: 7.8 mm
Case: 18 carat rose gold. See-through caseback with sapphire crystal. 42.8mm diameter,14.0mm thickness
Band: Crocodile with 18 karat rose gold three-fold clasp and push button release
Crystal: Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

Recommended retail price in Japan: JPY 34,650,000 (USD 426,389 at today’s rates)

You can watch the gong and listen to this beautiful clear sound at Seiko’s website here (bottom of the page) and you can listen to the Credor Grand Sonnerie, also a creation of the Micro Artist Studio from a few years back, here.

This is a stunning watch, with a similarly stunning price. Only three will be produced per annum. I am just intrigued as to whether they will in fact *sell* three in a year.

[AP]