Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948

Since the 1930s, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been creating timepieces able to display several time zones simultaneously. From dual-time watches to the Géographique and the remarkable Calibre 948 world timer, La Grande Maison makes time truly universal. For 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a magnificent new artistic interpretation of the Universal Time: Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948.

In the long history of timekeeping, time zones are relatively recent concept – but, like all measurements of time, have their origins in astronomy. The passage of our 24-hour day is based on the solar cycle, which is determined by the rotation of Earth on itself and its orbit around the Sun. Thus, as early navigators and explorers discovered, sunrise and sunset occur at different times in different places. With the development of maritime trade in the 18th century and railway travel in the 19th century, the need became clear for standardised timing – the synchronisation of clocks within a given geographical region – and for global norms to be established.