Jaeger-LeCoultre Uniplan

JAEGER - Lot 439

JAEGER Uniplan Asymmetrical Case no. 74957 Movement no. 113407 Movement made in February 1939 Bracelet watch in 18k (750) yellow gold Case: parallelogrammed "asymmetrical tank" shape, non-original JLC-logoed crown, eagle-beak lugs, numbered clipped caseback with Edmond Jaeger hallmark (EJ hallmark partially obliterated) and "MODELE DEPOSE" marking Dial: silvered, painted hour markers, blued steel sword hands, signed Jaeger Movement: hand-wound mechanical "service" movement, signed Jaeger-LeCoultre- Calibre 410 Strap/clasp: leather strap with gilded metal pin buckle, unsigned Size: 37 x 23 mm Gross weight: 27.1 g. We thank the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre for its kind collaboration. A seminal decade for formal watchmaking, the 1930s marked the peak of Cartier's creativity, which imposed a radical and immediately identifiable aesthetic language. It was in this context that the Tank Asymétrique was born in 1936, one of the boldest interpretations of an iconic model. While preserving the DNA of the original Tank (i.e. legibility, architectural lines and purity of design), Louis Cartier broke with the classic symmetry of the case to introduce a 30-degree inclination. This oblique construction, far from being a mere stylistic exercise, profoundly alters the perception of time on the wrist and places the Tank Asymétrique among the House's most avant-garde creations. Produced in very small quantities, the Tank Asymétrique remains one of the rarest watches from Cartier's pre-war period. Sought-after for both its design and the complexity of its manufacture. As with other timepieces of the period, the movement, and in some cases the case, were made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, then recognized as "the watchmaker's watchmaker". Some rare examples feature a dial signed only "Jaeger", with no mention of Cartier, a direct reflection of this close collaboration, now considered a sought-after configuration by collectors. The timepiece presented here falls precisely into this category of rare watches, bearing witness to a period of stylistic daring.