NEVER FORGET: Queen Elizabeth II wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 101 (then the world’s smallest movement), concealed within the links of diamond bracelet during her 1953 coronation. Every time you’re wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre, you’re wearing a bit of history on your wrist.

Some of the brand’s novelties were launched in the Philippines late last week at a tea at the Raffles. The company was founded in 1830, appearing among the wrists of the world’s most famous people: think Amelia Earhart, Douglas MacArthur, and Charlie Chaplin.

For this year, the brand announced a limited edition of its Polaris Date limited edition — just 800 of them, to be exact. From the website, it said: “a self-winding mechanical movement delivers all the precision and craftsmanship one would expect from Jaeger‑LeCoultre. The in-house Calibre 899A/1 faithfully keeps the seconds, minutes, hours, and date (displayed through a dedicated window at the three o’clock position) while offering a power reserve of 38 hours. It’s secured by a closed caseback, which has four special engravings, including a SCUBA diving insignia, the Jaeger‑LeCoultre crest, and the phrase ‘1000 HOURS CONTROL’, denoting the assembled watch has undergone 1,000 hours of testing before leaving the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. Finally, the words ‘Limited edition — One of 800’ are inscribed near backing’s outer edge.”

As for the look, it features a “hand-lacquered blue double-gradient dial with sunrayed, grained and opaline finish, unique to this special model. The central disc and main dial now each incorporate a shimmering, color-change effect — from deep turquoise to a brilliant shade of royal blue. The blue rubber Clous de Paris strap, also unique to the model, is color-matched to the inner bezel, which, like the original Memovox Polaris and Polaris II, rotates for added functionality.”

For something more dainty, there is the Dazzling Rendez-Vous Night & Day, with a mother-of-pearl dial, and approximately 3.43 carats worth of diamonds on the bezel. An automatic, self-winding piece with a clear caseback, it displays the brand’s genius in combining technical masterpiece with a sense of beauty. — JLG

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