THE MAKINGS OF A QUEEN

Launched at the Venice Film Festival, the two jewel watches, Reine and Feuille, are powered by the Calibre 101, the world’s smallest self-winding movement since 1929

After almost 90 years of existence, the Calibre 101 by Jaeger-LeCoultre has a truly fascinating history. It was inspired by the famous Duoplan invented in 1925 and was made up of two parts, a first level with the barrel and cogs, and a second with the escapement. At just 0.2cm³, weighing barely one gram and with its miniature dimensions (14×4.8×3.4mm), it has been the world’s smallest hand-wound movement since 1929. Elizabeth II wore a watch with the Calibre 101 at her coronation in 1953, going against the protocol of the time. This small, but accurate mechanism that is set and wound using a flat crown on the back of the case, runs at a gentle frequency of 21,600 vibrations an hour and provides a power reserve of 33 hours.

Price on request www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

By Sharmila Bertin