DEFYING GRAVITY
MASTER HYBRIS INVENTIVA GYROTOURBILLON À STRATOSPHÈRE
The Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is the latest in a long line of inventions nurtured by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s pursuit of precision, which began almost two centuries ago. The triple-axis tourbillon construction of Calibre 178, for which several patents have been filled, ensuring 98 percent coverage of all possible positions, is arguably the most precise tourbillon wristwatch with the widest positional coverage ever created by Jaeger-LeCoultre. It also marks the inauguration of a new series within the Hybris line: Hybris Inventiva.
OVERVIEW
THE NEXT GENERATION OF MULTI-AXIS TOURBILLON
INVENTION
WHERE GRAVITY NEARS ZERO
The Master Hybris Inventiva Calibre 178 Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère, for which several patents have been filled, takes the multi-axis tourbillon construction even further, to become a tourbillon within another tourbillon within yet another tourbillon. The kinematics of this triple-axis tourbillon achieves 98 per cent of all possible positions to compensate for the negative effects of gravity on the precision of the watch.
PRECISION, ENGINEERED IN EVERY DETAIL
To optimise isochronic performance, the Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is fitted with a cylindrical balance spring – a shape that beats concentrically in every position, regardless of amplitude, position or power reserve. Its three titanium tourbillon cages rotate along X, Y, and Z axes at three different speeds – respectively, 20 seconds (inner cage); 60 seconds (centre cage or ‘cage of reference’); 90 seconds (outer cage). No other 4Hz tourbillon on the market currently covers such a wide range of positions.
189 COMPONENTS IN 2CM³
For the last 22 years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has worked to improve upon that tourbillon’s miniaturisation, as well as different angles of inclination of the axes, eventually leading to the creation of the ultra-precise Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère. This incredibly complex 189-component structure weighs only 0.783 grams and its total volume fits into something barely larger than a pearl.
DESIGN
CALIBRE 178 ELEVATED TO A MÉTIERS RARES™ CANVAS
Calibre 178 stands as Jaeger-LeCoultre's most profound achievement in harmonizing mechanics and decoration. Unprecedentedly, techniques typically reserved for the dial have been meticulously applied across its barrel covers, plates, and bridges, forging a seamless visual tapestry that utterly blurs the distinction between the dial and the movement.
SKILLFULLY CRAFTED IN THE MÉTIERS RARES™ ATELIER
On the front of the watch, the 18K white gold movement plates are decorated with sunray guilloché and then coated with translucent blue enamel. The visible hollowed-out 18K white gold bridges are filled with blue lacquer to match the design, and even the covers of the two large spring barrels – unmistakable from the dial side at approximately 2 and 10 o’clock – are engraved and hand-lacquered in the same blue.
DECORATED WITH 16 DECORATIONS
Calibre 178 is decorated with 16 different techniques: sandblasting, perlage, polishing, flat polishing, straight graining, linear brushing, circular brushing, Côtes de Genève, diamond polishing, snailing, sunray brushing, bevelling, guillochage, lacquering, lapping finish, and enamelling. Among these 16 different decorations, the hand-bevelling require no less than 65 hours of meticulous work.
CALIBRE
HIGH FREQUENCY BUILT TO LAST
Ensuring high precision, the manually wound Calibre 178 beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) and offers a remarkably long power reserve of 72 hours. The owner can monitor the current state of winding thanks to the discreet 18K pink gold power reserve display on the back of the calibre, indicated by a long, thin gold hand.
CALIBRE
The Calibre 178 embodies Jaeger-LeCoultre's excellence, where the decorative art of the dial extends to the movement's components, forging a visual continuity that erases the usual boundary between the display and the mechanism.
HERITAGE
THE WATCHMAKER OF WATCHMAKERS
Always striving to surpass itself, La Grande Maison has created more than 1400 calibres and registered over 430 patents. From the very beginning, our master craftsmen and women have created exceptional calibres which were sold to the great Swiss watchmakers, earning Jaeger-LeCoultre the nickname of "Watchmaker of Watchmakers".
