Zhang Ziyi wearing the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Shooting Star

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmaking artistry once again soars with cosmic ambition in the latest iteration of the Rendez-Vous Shooting Star. Refined to a poetic height in 2025, this creation encapsulates both the technical mastery and emotive charm of the Vallée de Joux Maison. It is an object that bridges horological sophistication and celestial mythology, expressing the Maison’s ceaseless pursuit of horological delight for women who appreciate both beauty and substance in their timepieces.

A Luminous Spectacle of Painted Poetry

The dial of this exceptional timepiece is less an instrument of time-telling and far more an exquisite tableau, inviting one to lose all sense of chronology in admiration. It features a remarkable construction of three overlapping discs, each layer articulating depth and intrigue. Lush peony blooms, delicately and painstakingly painted by hand on translucent sapphire glass, cloak the dial in either nine shades of pink or twelve shades of blue lacquer, depending upon variation. The process is relentless: the artistry commences with freehand-outlined blooms, moves on to the foliage painted in mirror image upon the reverse, and is completed as the dial is turned and the flowers take form on the front. Judgement and precision are absolute, as the painting must be rendered continuously, lest the lacquer’s swift drying spoil all.

The masterstroke lies in the interaction of transparency and colour. Painting on both sides confers a lifelike, three-dimensional effect, enhanced by the play of light upon the sapphire. Beneath this, a rotating disc of mother-of-pearl, airbrushed meticulously in shades of blue, suggests a starry night sky. Laser-cut silhouette of a shooting star on this disc, activated by the gentle gesture of the wrist, brings to life a fleeting cosmic dash, revealing a silvery third layer to mimic the ethereal flash of meteorite across the heavens. The circle of diamonds that traces the path of the shooting star on the sapphire dial and the diamond-set bezel provide a radiant frame, leading the gaze towards the centre of artistry. The craftsmanship on display achieves a near-photographic realism, arresting all eyes.

Ingenious Mechanics, Refined Execution

Powering this celestial complication is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house Calibre 734. Developed and constructed entirely within the workshops at Le Sentier, it consists of 335 individual components brought together with the expertise that only the Grande Maison can muster. This automatic movement embodies the challenging paradox of creating an unpredictably occurring event in a bastion of precision. The shooting star complication is not controlled by the wearer; rather, it appears through a mechanical ballet activated by the mere motion of the wrist, mimicking the evanescence of its inspiration.

Calibre 734 offers hours, minutes, and the whimsical ‘shooting star’ display, delivering a power reserve of 70 hours. The architecture is engineered for both reliability and poetic spontaneity, an achievement that captivates in its audacity. The finishing throughout is a reflection of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedication to refinement: while the movement is not on display, the assurance of intricate finishing within is unwavering, with attention paid to both function and aesthetic, the philosophy that defines the Manufacture.

Pink Gold Elegance and Gem-set Brilliance

The Rendez-Vous Shooting Star is housed in an 18k pink gold case, measuring 36mm in diameter and 11.11mm in height. This proportion is exceptionally well judged, offering an assertive presence whilst remaining elegantly wearable. The surface gleams with the richness of noble metal and, in the pink peony rendition, comes paired with a fully diamond-set bracelet: comprising a total of 625 brilliant-cut diamonds – amounting to approximately 6.31 carats, flowing seamlessly over wrist and case. For those drawn to cooler hues, the blue peony variant is styled with a glossy blue alligator strap, set with 189 diamonds on the case and dial for an accomplished accent of sparkle, amounting to 1.47 carats. Water resistance is rated at 50 metres, fulfilling everyday versatility without diminishing grace.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s artisanship extends to the tiniest details: diamond-set lugs and exactly positioned gemstones on the crown, all harmonising to reinforce the central-circular motif. These attributes confirm the Maison’s mastery of gem-setting, the finesse evident in both opulence and restraint.

Eternal Femininity and the Maison’s Artistic Journey

This evolution of the Rendez-Vous Shooting Star is an ode to eternal feminine allure, capturing the romance of the night and the astonishing unpredictability of a meteor’s path. Peonies, chosen for their lush yet delicate countenance, become more than a motif, they are manifestations of abundance and enlightenment, reinterpreted by Jaeger-LeCoultre as symbols of modern femininity.

Within the serene confines of the Vallée de Joux, the Manufacture’s artisans channel the nuances of technical ingenuity and aesthetic elegance into wearable poetry. Each timepiece is the outcome of skills passed between hands and generations, striving always to fascinate the women who choose Jaeger-LeCoultre not just for precision, but for the quiet drama and sophistication brought to the wrist. The Rendez-Vous Shooting Star thus stands as an enchanting chapter in a continuing story, a sublime synthesis of horology and dreamscape for those who appreciate artistry in every heartbeat.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Shooting Star Technical Specifications

• Reference: Q36423C3
  • Pink gold and diamonds with integrated folding clasp
  • 625 brilliant-cut diamonds (~6.31 carats)
• Reference: Q36424C2
  • Blue alligator with folding interchangeable clasp
  • 189 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.47 carats)

Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” display

Movement

• Automatic mechanical movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734
• Power reserve:  70 hours
• Automatic winding
• Components: 335
• Vibrations per hour: 28800
• Jewels: 51
• Barrel: 1
• Thickness: 5.66mm

Case: 

• Pink gold (18k – 750/1000)
• Dimensions: 36mm x 11.11mm
• Water resistance: 50m

Dial:  

• Sapphire crystal with diamonds and miniature painting

ABOUT JAEGER-LECOULTRE – THE WATCHMAKER OF WATCHMAKERS™
Since 1833, driven by an unquenchable thirst for innovation and creativity, and inspired by the peaceful natural surroundings of its home in the Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been distinguished by its mastery of complications and the precision of its mechanisms. Known as the Watchmaker of WatchmakersTM, the Manufacture has expressed its relentlessly inventive spirit through the creation of more than 1,400 different calibres and the award of more than 430 patents. Harnessing over 190 years of accumulated expertise, La Grande Maison’s watchmakers design, produce, finish and ornament the most advanced and precise mechanisms, blending passion with centuries-old savoir-faire, linking the past to the future, timeless but always up with the times. With 180 skills brought together under one roof, the Manufacture creates fine timepieces that combine technical ingenuity with aesthetic beauty and a distinctively understated sophistication.