Source: Images and content by Jaeger LeCoultre @ Jaeger LeCoultre.
The contrast of a midnight-blue dial and polished white gold case
At 41mm diameter and just 7.8 mm thick, the case of the Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 362 was inspired by the elegance of the Maison’s early 20th-century ultra-thin pocket-watches – in particular the 1907 couteau (knife) pocket watch.
The Manufacture chose white gold because of the metal’s superior acoustic qualities and, in the new interpretation of the timepiece, the midnight blue sunrayed dial contrasts dramatically with the hand-polished bezel, sides and tapering lugs.
Against the deep blue background, the simplicity of the dial indications also pays subtle tribute to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s historic pocket watches: elongated Dauphine hands, hours marked with simple batons and minutes marked by white dots.
Haute Horlogerie finishes abound, including Côtes de Genève on certain bridges, and hand-bevelling, with the characteristically sharp internal angles bearing testimony to the Métiers RaresTM atelier’s craftsmen’s skill and attention to detail. Further evidence of that attention to detail is evident on the dial side, where sections of the peripheral oscillating weight have been delicately snailed.
With eight patents, including six inventions developed specifically for this timepiece, the Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 362 is an eloquent testimony to the Manufacture’s perpetual quest for pushing the boundaries of horological innovation.
