Legendary calibers

Say their names to a watchmaking fan: Calibre 101, Calibre 321, Calibre 11, Calibre El Primero… Observe, listen: he or she will never run out of things to say about them. These mechanical movements are the stuff of legend, and enthusiasts devote a veritable cult to them. There’s so much to say about their adventures, which today are told like fantastic fables, full of anecdotes and twists and turns. Each in its own way, they bear witness to the inventive spirit of watchmakers, their taste for innovation and challenges. Like the tiny Calibre 101, the world’s smallest (14 x 4.8 x 3.4mm!) developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1929 and worn by Queen Elizabeth II of England at her coronation in 1953. Their legendary epics also recount the mad race for the first self-winding chronograph, with Zenith unveiling its famous El Primero movement in January 1969, just two months ahead of the Chrono-Matic Calibre 11 developed jointly by Breitling, Heuer-Leonidas, Hamilton-Büren and Dubois Dépraz. At Omega, Calibre 321 became famous because it was the very first to equip the Speedmaster, the future Moonwatch, when it was launched in 1957.

Today, these cult calibres have lost none of their superb character and continue to set the pace of time with vitality. Since 1929, the Calibre 101 has been produced continuously by Jaeger-LeCoultre, mainly for small jewelry models. At Zenith, the El Primero movement, threatened with extinction in the 1970s but saved in extremis by watchmaker Charles Vermot, pulses in versions constantly improved to 1/100th of a second. TAG Heuer’s fifty-year-old Monaco Calibre 11 is a real must-have. As for Omega, fifty years after production of the Calibre 321 ceased, the Manufacture is reviving the myth this year. As alive and fascinating as on its first day. Calibre 101, designed in 1929 by Jaeger-LeCoultre, powers this feminine timepiece, one of the oldest in the brand’s heritage collection.
 

What they say

TAG HEUER CALIBRE 11

“Throughout 1968, we had managed to keep the project secret, and we were aware that the new Calibre 11 would fill one of the last gaps in the world of mechanical watch movements.” – Jack Heuer, Honorary Chairman of TAG Heuer

ZENITH EL PRIMERO

“You feel so proud when you work on this movement. It’s so accomplished! It’s been rescued, put back into production, improved, many complications added, it’s evolved, it’s grown, but it’s as noble as ever. And it’s beautiful! This movement is historic: Zenith is El Primero, and El Primero is Zenith. – The House of Zenith

 

JAEGER-LECOULTRE CALIBRE 101

“The calibre 101 was ahead of its time. Not only in its dimensions, but also in its innovation, as it was the first watch movement with a winding crown underneath. This feat is all the more remarkable given that almost a century after its creation, the calibre 101 has not been equalled or surpassed.” – Stéphane Belmont, Jaeger-LeCoultre Heritage Director

 

OMEGA CALIBRE 321

“The popularity of Calibre 321 is impressive. The introduction of our last Calibre 321 dates back to 1968, and since then, fans have never stopped talking about it. This underlines just how special it is. We’re delighted to be able to meet their expectations and to have done everything in our power to bring the movement back to life” – Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of Omega.