Like musicians, when it comes to minute repeaters, watchmakers are obsessed with the quality of sound. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Minute Repeater TiVan introduced in 2011 made in a limited edition of 100 pieces only is the brand’s true innovation on the sonics of this complication. Aesthetically pleasing with a large 44mm diameter case, the timepiece is cased in TiVan (Titanium and Vanadium) with a sleek grey appeal. Coupled with an exposed architecture of the skeletonised dial with attractive heated blue screws, the accents of the pink gold hands and indexes is well executed with improved legibility. Sitting on the top layer of its mechanism are three open rings that allows the wearer to indicate the torque from the mainspring barrels, as well as the power reserve of up to 15 days upon a full wound.

Powering this chiming timepiece is the manually wound in-house calibre 947 that consist of 413 parts.
Recognising that synthetic sapphire crystal provides superior sound transmission, Jaeger-LeCoultre developed ‘crystal gongs’ since 2005. The gong itself is metal but, rather than being attached to the watch case, is soldered to the crystal case back, which acts as an amplifier to create a louder and richer sound. For the first time, a minute repeater could have a sealed waterproof case with no loss of sound quality thanks to the gongs and large sized case. Not only is the acoustic of the timepiece pleasing, the finishing of the movement displayed through the ample sapphire caseback is on par. Finished with a ruthenium-coated three-quarter plate, the movement is decorated with Côtes de Soleil that radiates from the balance wheel. Numbered 36 of a limited edition of 100, the present exampled is offered in attractive overall condition and is accompanied by the original guarantee and presentation box.