PRE-SIHH 2017: A new day for the Rendez-Vous collection
PRE-SIHH 2017: A new day for the Rendez-Vous collection
In 2017, Jaeger-LeCoultre is writing a new chapter in the story of its Rendez-Vous collection of women’s timepieces. Originally introduced by the Maison in 2012, Rendez-Vous is a collection bearing all the hallmarks of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers RaresTM (Rare Crafts), impeccable timekeeping accuracy, unrivalled excellence in craftsmanship and the breathtaking artistry of its jewellery designs and settings.
The new Rendez-Vous collection, once again the result of the combined talents of the watchmakers and craftspeople of the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux, is a celebration of horology designed for women, with sophisticated materials in muted and sparkling tones reinforcing the timeless style of these elegant, noble timepieces.
The introduction of a moon phase and a new chiming reminder function, yellow and rose gold options, a larger size and sumptuous new straps, all reflect the popularity of the Rendez-Vous collection worldwide, among art, design and watch lovers alike.
A rich gamut of colours, including yellow and rose gold watch cases, takes inspiration from the constantly changing light of the sun and the moon, from the first glows of dawn to the vibrant shades of dusk, turning to a moonlit sky as day turns to night – eliciting colours, reflections and emotions to accompany and inspire a woman every moment of her life, whatever the occasion and wherever she may be.
At the heart of every Rendez-Vous timepiece is an impeccably precise automatic movement coupled with the aesthetic perfection of a rare, precious jewel. The new Rendez-Vous unveils the secrets of watchmaking mastery at its finest, both in technique and artistry - from the elaborate ornamentation of its movement to the elegant adornment of its dial, from the delicate setting of its diamonds and sapphires to the presentation of its timekeeping functions.
Beauty around the clock
Rendez-Vous Night & Day now reveals itself in a new light. Available in three sizes and in a choice of materials, including yellow gold, and featuring a new function, Rendez-Vous Night & Day is adorned with straps of steel, ostrich or alligator leather and comes in a spectrum of colours, each alluding to different moments in the daily life of a woman, from the first gleams of daybreak to the moonlit night.
Rendez-Vous Night & Day Large
A new size
With its case of 38.2mm in diameter – a larger than ever case for this collection – Rendez-Vous Night & Day Large enables women to change their watch straps or buckles as they wish, without the need for tools to do so. As an alternative to the delicate subtlety of the steel version adorned with a steel or a leather strap, some may prefer the tender femininity of the rose gold version, set with brilliant cut diamonds and available with an ostrich leather strap.
A supremely delicate watch dial
The graceful, elliptical guilloché dial of the Rendez-Vous Night & Day Large reflects the light, while its texture brings the watch to life. Understated and refined, with its night and day display and delicate floral type hands, it is the result of tireless work by the craftspeople at the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, devoted to the fine art of watchmaking.
Rendez-Vous Night & Day Medium
A precious metal to reflect the times
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces yellow gold into the Rendez-Vous timepiece collection for the first time. Gold - noble and precious, be it in the form of an elegant bezel, understated lugs or a finely designed buckle - merges naturally with the skin. To emphasize the gold lustre of the bezel, the silver dial is adorned with an elegant guilloché. Coupling yellow gold with a pink watch strap makes for a simple, daring and ultra-feminine sartorial statement, transforming a watch into a jewel, to be worn close to the skin every day.
Rendez-Vous Sonatina Large
A new feature in the world of women’s watches
To provide a discreet reminder of an upcoming rendez-vous, Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmakers have created the Rendez-Vous Sonatina Large, complete with a new function. It chimes at the appointed hour, thanks to the mysterious little star that has marked out certain models of the Rendez-Vous line since its inception, and that can be moved around the dial. The delicate tinkle of a single hammer strike is audible at the selected time. When it is set using the top crown, this innovative feature comes as a surprise to the ear and explains the name Sonatina, a musical term for a short melody.
Two versions to mark time
On the dial, with its fine guilloché finish resembling raw silk, are blue steel hands, a design signature of traditional Swiss watchmaking. The elegant night and day indicator appears in a semi-circle at 6am, complementing the rendez-vous star at its side.
In addition to a rose gold version, the Rendez-Vous Sonatina Large is also available in white gold with a dial of amethyst shades and brilliant cut diamonds adorning its bezel, lugs and the rim of its case. True to their reputation as virtuosos of colour, the Maison’s artists have embellished this sensual dial with captivating graduated amethyst shades. To be found concealed beneath are the meticulous workings of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new 735 Calibre automatic movement. What better homage could be paid by the Métiers RaresTM (Rare Crafts) to the mists of time?
The night star in its best light
The moon and its many faces - Queen of the night and of the dawn - have long inspired the watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre. Until now the moon was reserved for pieces of the finest jewellery of the Rendez-Vous collection, but for the first time the iconic moon phase feature now adorns the newest models of the Rendez-Vous collection.
Rendez-Vous Moon Medium
An iconic timekeeping function, interpreted for women
Available in steel or rose gold, the Rendez-Vous Moon Medium includes a moon phase, with its finely worked geometric guilloché appearing both on the dial and on the disk that bears the moon phase itself.
Moon phase in the limelight
With a time lag of only one day every 985 years, the moon phase function boasts the ultimate precision. The glistening moon has a sandy finish, lending it a surprising sense of depth. An inspired way for the Manufacture’s craftspeople to faithfully reproduce the varying faces of the moon with its reflections and changing colours as the hours pass. This very feminine model also enjoys the subtle addition of a hand indicating the seconds.
Rendez-Vous Moon
A dramatic entrance for rose gold
The first appearance of rose gold in this exceptional 36mm timepiece is enhanced with one of the signatures of the Métiers RaresTM of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture – the gem setting. Its golden dial, burning with the brightness of a thousand fires, is the backdrop for a tender pearl moon and a watch that is feminine in the extreme, its hue reminiscent of a dawning day, as the sun rises in a cloudless sky.
A pearl moon, with rose gold and diamonds on a bed of satin
On this elaborate timepiece, the ultimate in femininity down to every last detail, including its pink satin strap, both the bezel and the rim of the case are entirely set with brilliant cut diamonds. To enhance the reflections of this radiant crown, a further 26 diamonds nestle discreetly in a semi circle above the hour numbers, which in turn make way to be replaced by an exquisite pearl moon in a sky filled with stars. With only a one day time lag every 985 years, the moon phase is a timekeeping function of rare precision. On the edge of the dial, the star, a signature of the Rendez-Vous line, offers a discreet reminder of the time of a future rendez-vous.