Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Hong Kong, Feb 26, 2012

LOT 180

JAEGER LECOULTRE REVERSO GRAND COMPLICATION 'A TRIPTYQUE,' WHITE GOLD, NO.02/20. Jaeger-LeCoultre, Reverso Grande Complication a Triptyque, No. 2/20, case No. 2666568, Ref. 241.3.65. Made in a limited edition of 20 sets in white gold. Sold on December 18th, 2009. Extremely complicated and equally rare, large, rectangular, reversible, 18k white gold wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon, "marchante" equation of time, perpetual calendar, leap-year indication and instant retrograde date display, moon phases, Zodiac Calendar, sky chart, Siderial time, sunrise and sunset time, power reserve indication, day and night indication, ?1000 Hours Control?, and an 18K white gold Jaeger-LeCoultre double deployant clasp. Accompanied by the original fitted box, guarantee certificate, instruction booklet and Magnifying Glass.

HKD 2,300,000 - 3,000,000

USD 300,000 - 400,000 / EUR 230,000 - 300,000

Sold: HKD 2,540,000

C. Five-body, solid, polished, reeded bezel, sliding lock in the band at 2, sapphire crystals. D. Three dials: I: Grey with inner square texture and outer vertical texture, silver reserve with minute divisions, outer with painted silver radial Arabic numerals, power-reserve at 10, day and night indication at 2, view of tourbillon and engraved stars on the movement plate at 5. II: Inner wave texture, outer vertical texture, off-center sky chart, Zodiac calendar on the reserve, silver reserves on the subdials, equation of time at 6, sunrise at 7 and sunset at 5. III: Vertical texture with silver reserves on the subdials, central moon phases, day at 10, month at 2, retrograde date ring at the 6, leap year indication at the 12. M. Cal. 175, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 79 jewels, one-minute titanium tourbillon cage, monomeetallic glucydur balance and adjusting screws, lateral lever escapement, self-compensating helical balance spring, shock absorbers. Dial, case and movement signed. Dim. 38 x 56 mm. Thickness 18 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

The following 3 examples of Jaeger LeCoultre wristwatches represent the pinnacle of watchmaking technology by the company and were originally sold as a set named "Hybris Mecanique." This is the fi rst time any of the models have been offered for auction in a white gold case and this is the fi rst Triptyque example to be appear at auction. Versions of the highly complex and desirable Gyrotourbillon 1, 2 and Triptyque within a white gold case were only manufactured and available to purchase as a set of all three. Released in an edition of 20 sets in 2009 each watch has remained stored in a safe by a private collector and offered in excellent ?as new? condition. The following three lots represent perhaps a unique opportunity to purchase the respective models in white gold individually.
Introduced to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Reverso in 2006, the Triptyque required a team of technicians, engineers, designers and watchmakers over six years to develop. With 19 complications displayed over three-dials within a reversible case it was a worldfi rst and gained accolade as a suitable milestone for the anniversary. Five patents were sought for the various mechanisms including a new detached-lever (ellipse isometer) tourbillion within a titanium carriage. Altogether the movement consists of 642 parts with a height of 7.5 mm providing a 48-hour power reserve. The astronomical sky-chart could be requested as either a northern or southern hemisphere with the sunrise and sunset times calculated to the owners? location. The example offered is currently fi tted with a northern hemisphere sky and calculated to Houston, Texas. The massive case in white gold is fi tted with a sliding lock to prevent accidental movement.
THE THREE DIALS FEATURE THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS
Front Dial Civil time, 2 day power reserve indicator 24 hour time Visible one-minute tourbillon escapement Reverse Dial Zodiac calendar
Sidereal time
Equation of time,
Sunrise (Lever) and sunset (Coucher) times
Sky chart
Carrier Dial Day
Month
Year
Moonphases
Instantaneous perpetual calendar with retrograde date