The Calibre 101, originally designed for jewellery watches, revolutionised ladies\u2019 watch-making when it was launched in 1929, its miniature size and elongated design effectively opening the door to a new type of aesthetic freedom for watchmakers! Developed half a century before the advent of the computer, this calibre is unanimously considered a masterpiece of miniaturisation. At 14mm in length and less than 5mm in width, and weighing in at barely one gram, this tiny hand-wound calibre remains to this day the smallest mechanical movement in the world, not to mention one of the oldest still in production. Now, at over 90 years of age, it has of course undergone various improvements in terms of materials and machining, but its dimensions and architecture remain unchanged. Its small size means that each component has to be custom-made and hand-fitted, making each Calibre 101 a unique piece. Over the course of its history, it has been fitted both to timepieces created by Jaeger-LeCoultre and to creations by various other watchmakers. These rare watches have graced the wrists of many extraordinary women over the years, including Queen Elizabeth\u00a0II, who wore one gifted by French President Vincent Auriol at her coronation in 1953.<\/p>\n
When it came to designing these two new gem-set watches, the Jaeger-LeCoultre designers began by outlining the shape of the strap and deciding on the type of setting before incorporating the casings and movements into their pieces. In traditional watchmaking, the process is, of course, quite the opposite, with the casing generally being designed before the strap that will support it is created. Fashioned in rose gold, both straps faithfully reflect the traditional codes of high-end jewellery whilst at the same time differing greatly from one other in terms of both form and personality, underlining the creative freedom that the small Calibre 101 allows.<\/p>\n
101 Snowdrop: symmetry\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t\t