Rendez-Vous Tourbillon Night & Day
Built for a Woman: Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
From cars and power tools to stereos and watches, men are attracted to mechanical things. That’s why brands, since the invention of quartz in the 1970’s, have catered to men with the majority of models. If a woman wanted a mechanical watch, she had slim pickings. What passed as a woman’s watch was a smaller man’s dressed up in jewels. Some of them were even pretty. Still, you couldn’t get around the fact that women were an afterthought in the equation.
By Meehna Goldsmith
For over forty years, the major brands have operated under the premise that women would rather not be bothered with winding and setting a watch nor we they interested in the little parts that made keeping time possible. And perhaps it was true. No doubt, a quartz watch offers convenience. Once set it will keep impeccable time until the battery dies and then it becomes lifeless and inert. But, the tide is turning…
The allure of the gear train, swinging balance wheel and sophisticated complications aren’t just in the domain of men anymore. In approximately the past five years, more and more women have discovered the beauty and intrigue of a mechanical timepiece and appreciated their vital heartbeat. Particularly with the prevalent use of sapphire (exhibition) case backs, women are able to witness the beating soul of the watch and see that artistry could extend outside as well as inside.
Jaeger-LeCoultre (along with others such as Omega with the Ladymatic) has realized the untapped potential of the women’s market and this year released the Rendez-Vous, a collection designed just for women. Even the movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 967A, was developed and introduced specifically for this line. It’s very unusual for a brand to develop a new calibre just for a women’s watch. Usually an existing (men’s) movement is used. This is a classy and progressive move by Jaeger-LeCoultre, showing their deep commitment to the women’s market.
Drawing upon Art Deco style, the Rendez-Vous comes in sensuously curved, circular 29mm, 34mm and 36mm cases that have the presence of a modern timepiece while properly fitting on a woman’s more delicate wrist. To appeal to a lady’s taste for gems, the bezel is looped with diamonds, though the watch would look just as enticing without. Be brave, Jaeger LeCoultre, women don’t always need to be enticed with bling.
With the Rendez-Vous, Jaeger-LeCoultre acknowledges that women can be just as complicated as men. In addition to the Classique line that includes the relatively simple Date and Night and Day models, Jaeger-LeCoultre pulled out the stops by including high complications in the Rendez-Vous Celestial, Perpetual Calendar, Tourbillon Night and Day, and Tourbillon Wild watches. The tourbillon models contain Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 978 that resides in the Master Tourbillon, which won first prize in the chronometry competition in Switzerland in 2009.
The Rendez-Vous provides a platform for Jaeger-LeCoultre to show off their technical ability and artistry to women. Not only are they a fully integrated manufacture designing, developing and producing their own movements, they also are home to rare crafts. Rendez-Vous models display techniques such as guilloche, stone and gem setting, and marquetry.
It’s not surprising that Jaeger-LeCoultre has a winner with Rendez-Vous because it isn’t their first time at the rodeo. They have a rich history in women’s watches. In 1929 they debuted the Calibre 101, which still holds the record for smallest in the world. This petite movement has powered some of the most exquisite women’s watches and continues to do so. Queen Elizabeth chose to wear one of the Calibre 101 jeweled pieces for her inauguration.
And then of course came the iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso in 1931. The story goes that a polo player was tired of having the glass crystal on his watch broken and requested a solution. Jaeger-LeCoultre answered with the Reverso, which also became a canvas for beautiful women’s pieces. Through the ages, they have continued to create timepieces for and be inspired by the fairer sex. The new Rendez-Vous with its dedicated calibre is testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s continued commitment.
