Named after the Ancient Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights are only visible on the darkest nights near the Arctic Circle and have fascinated mankind since the beginning of time.
In these new ‘Northern Lights’ editions of the Rendez-Vous Celestial, mother-of-pearl and multi-coloured sapphires take centre stage, uniting two of the Metiers Rares® that Jaeger-LeCoultre has so thoroughly mastered – gem-setting, and hand-painting. The timepiece is offered in a limited edition of 18 pieces of each model.
Asymmetrical in composition, the dial is formed of two sections, set at different heights. On the upper section, the curvy Floral numerals – a signature of the Rendez-Vous collection – are graduated in size, to form a crescent that hovers above the lower dial. Outlined by an elliptical band of pink gold, this lower section carries a hand-transferred imprint of a star chart, together with the signs of the Zodiac and names of the months.
Displaying the night sky as it appears above Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Vallée de Joux, the star chart shows the changing positions of the constellations in real time. The automatic mechanical movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 809/1 turns the disc counter clockwise in relation to the stars, almost imperceptibly, in step with the rotation of the Earth in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. The finishing and decoration of the movement, displayed beneath the transparent sapphire case-back, reveals such details as blued screws, circular graining, Côtes de Genève and the pink gold signature winding rotor with Côtes de Genève decoration.
For the ‘Northern Lights’ edition, both sections of the mother-of-pearl dial are hand-painted with swirls of colour that reproduce the ethereal patterns of the Aurora Borealis – flowing seamlessly from the upper to lower dials. Shades of green and turquoise set the tone for one model; purples and blues dominate on the other – the colours intensified by the glowing mother-of-pearl beneath them. As the sky disc turns, the pattern of the background colours gently shifts, in a subtle echo of the dancing movement of the aurora.
A hand-polished golden star – emblem of the Rendez-Vous collection – is set on the edge of the dial; by turning the second crown, it can be moved into position to mark the time of a special rendezvous.
The rich tones of the dial are echoed on the bezel, which is set with a dazzling, colour-graduated circle of 64 baguette-cut sapphires and the lugs and two crowns are highlighted with diamonds. A matching alligator strap in turquoise or violet completes these rare timepieces.
