The soothing power of Nature by Jaeger-LeCoultre

Orchids: a symbol of beauty, grace and charm, cultivated and appreciated in China for more than 3,000 years. Butterflies: believed to represent metamorphosis, hope and life itself – their almost weightless fluttering evoking a sense of lightness and joy. Elegant yet delicate, fragile yet strong, orchids and butterflies unite on the dials of this new edition of the Rendez-Vous Sonatina, expressing the most enchanting facets of the feminine character.

These new timepieces call on three of the Métiers Rares™ (Rare Handcrafts) that Jaeger-LeCoultre has so thoroughly mastered: guillochage, micro-painting on mother-of-pearl, and gem-setting. The dials are engraved with a wavy guilloché motif that enhances the tonal variations of the mother-of-pearl, then a delicate tint of pink, green or purple is added. Onto this gleaming background the exquisite composition of orchids and butterflies is brought to life by the artisan, one tiny brushstroke at a time. Lifelike in their detail, with a remarkable sense of visual depth, each of these miniature works of art is subtly different, imbued with the artisan’s personality and passion. A fine oval-shaped ring of diamonds draws the eye to the painted image where, set among the blooms, in a free-form, flower-shaped aperture, the Night & Day indicator is visible.

Set on the edge of the dial, a delicate gold star marks the time of a special rendezvous, moved into position by a second crown. When the time comes, the watch releases a single, melodious chime to remind the owner of her appointment. This poetic and whimsical expression of femininity is brought to life by the technical sophistication of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Manufacture Calibre 735, a self-winding movement developed specially for the Sonatina, which is displayed beneath the transparent sapphire case-back.