· Jaeger-LeCoultre invents an entirely new complication that captures the romance and unpredictability of shooting stars

· Rare artistic crafts decorate a multiple-level sapphire crystal dial set with diamonds, with micro hand-painted clouds and moon concealing and revealing the star

· The new automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734 reconciles the randomness of shooting stars with the precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms of timekeeping 
 

In 2022, the Rendez-Vous Star recreates this enchanting celestial phenomenon on the wrist, thanks to an entirely new mechanism conceived and developed within the Manufacture. Activated by the movement of the wrist, the shooting star appears on the dial at random moments – usually four to six times per hour – its unpredictability making it even more special. To enjoy the enchanting display more often, the star may also be summoned on demand by turning the crown several times.

A Joyful Ode to the Night Sky

The Rendez-Vous Star is offered in two enchanting variations: a white gold case with a dial in subtle tones of silvery blue and a pink gold case with a dial in soft golden browns.

Inspired by the magic of shooting stars, the artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts™) atelier have harnessed their skills in new ways to depict the beauty and mystery of the night sky. Made of transparent sapphire glass, the uppermost of the dial’s three layers has been sprinkled with transferred stars and miniature hand-painted (on both sides of the sapphire glass) with clouds and a crescent moon, which conceal the shooting star when it is inactive.

Beneath this is a rotating circular disc of titanium with a cut-out of the shooting star – in an intense night blue for the white gold version and in a dark taupe colour for the pink gold version. When activated, the disc spins, sending the star on its curving path across the upper dial. As it passes, the cut-out reveals the deepest layer of the dial – a fixed disc of silvery or golden metal with a glowing gradient finish that accentuates the sense of movement.

Defining the trajectory of the shooting star, a three-quarter circle of diamonds is set into the sapphire glass dial. This is achieved by integrating fine gold threads directly into the glass to anchor the diamonds and enhance the effect of transparency and lightness.

The bezel is set with a circle of glittering diamonds that draw the eye towards the dial and, in keeping with the aesthetic codes of the Rendez-Vous, the upper surfaces of the lugs, and the top of the crown are also diamond-set. To complete these watchmaking treasures, an alligator leather strap, matched to the dial colour and given a glowing, pearlised finish, is fastened to the wrist by a folding buckle.

Inspired and created in the Vallée de Joux

To create a mechanism that expresses an unpredictable phenomenon is a fascinating challenge for watchmaking as it appears to defy the laws of horology – a world where everything is expressed through precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms. Drawing on almost 190 years of expertise accumulated within the Manufacture, the engineers and watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre have developed the new in-house automatic calibre 734, incorporating the new shooting star mechanism. In doing so, they have succeeded in an unprecedented feat of capturing a random cosmic phenomenon in a watchmaking complication. Uniting this technical acumen with La Grande Maison’s artistic skills, the Rendez-Vous Star gives poetic and whimsical expression to the enchantment of the night sky.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

RENDEZ-VOUS STAR

Case: white gold or pink gold

Dimensions: 36mm x 11.16mm

Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734

Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” complication

Power reserve: 70 hours

Dial: sapphire crystal set with diamonds & miniature hand-painting; titanium

Diamonds: 189 for 1.48 carats

Strap: shiny alligator with folding buckle

Water resistance: 5 bar

References:

Q36434C1 – white gold version

Q36424C1 – pink gold version

· Jaeger-LeCoultre invents an entirely new complication that captures the romance and unpredictability of shooting stars

· A blue Aventurine dial evokes the night sky, with multiple layers that conceal and reveal the shooting star; an outer bezel of griffe-set diamonds enriches the display

· The new automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734 reconciles the randomness of shooting stars with the precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms of timekeeping 

In 2022, the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star recreates this enchanting celestial phenomenon on the wrist, thanks to an entirely new mechanism conceived and developed within the Manufacture. Activated by the movement of the wrist, the shooting star appears on the dial at random moments – usually four to six times per hour – its unpredictability making it even more special. To enjoy the enchanting display more often, the star may also be summoned on demand by turning the winding crown several times.

An Exquisite Display Evokes the Night Sky

Entirely made of blue Aventurine, the dial of the new Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star exquisitely captures the beauty of a star-studded night sky. In the centre, framed by a ring of diamonds, three discs are layered over each other. The first layer, an oval of Aventurine, conceals the shooting star when it is inactive. Beneath it is a circular disc of Aventurine with a cut-out of the shooting star; when activated, this disc spins, sending the star on its curving path across the upper dial. As the star passes, the cut-out reveals the deepest layer of the dial – a fixed disc of golden metal with a glowing gradient finish that accentuates the sense of movement.

Loyal to the codes of the Rendez-Vous collection, this central display is surrounded by a ring of applied numerals in the signature Floral font and applied hemispherical hour markers. The time is indicated on these scales by golden Floral hands. Surrounding the 36mm pink gold case, the Dazzling Rendez-Vous bezel forms two concentric rings. There’s an airy quality to these glittering circles, thanks to the prong (or ‘griffe’) setting of the outer ring of 36 stones. A classical jewellery technique introduced in the Rendez-Vous collection in 2019, it is an exquisite testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s gem-setting expertise. Fine gold claws hold the diamonds high, allowing light to pass through them from every angle, maximising the presence of each stone while minimising the visible metal. To complete the watch case, the upper surfaces of the lugs are set with diamonds and an inverted diamond is set into the crown.

The rich blue of the dial is complemented by a shiny blue alligator strap with a folding buckle, or by a sumptuous, fully-set pink gold bracelet specially designed for the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star. The bracelet’s lozenge-shaped links are grain-set with a total of 436 diamonds (for 4.88 carats) and linked seamlessly together, to wrap around the wrist with the suppleness of a ribbon.

Inspired and Created in the Vallée de Joux

To create a mechanism that expresses an unpredictable phenomenon is a fascinating challenge for watchmaking as it appears to defy the laws of horology – a world where everything is expressed through precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms. Drawing on almost 190 years of expertise accumulated within the Manufacture, the engineers and watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre have developed the new in-house automatic calibre 734, incorporating the new shooting star mechanism. In doing so, they have succeeded in an unprecedented feat of capturing a random cosmic phenomenon in a watchmaking complication.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

RENDEZ-VOUS DAZZLING STAR

Case: pink gold, sapphire crystal case back

Dimensions: 36mm x 11.11mm

Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734

Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” complication

Power reserve: 70 hours

Dial: Aventurine, diamonds

Diamonds: Ref. Q3642470 (181 diamonds for 3.48 carats); Ref. Q3642371 (617 diamonds for 8.36 carats)

Water resistance: 5 bar

References:

Q3642470 – pink gold (leather strap)

Q3642371 – pink gold (fully-set pink gold bracelet)