Looking for an introduction to Cartier?
This page is about a specific watch movement. For the story of the Cartier family and the jewellery house they built, start here:
The Calibre 101 is a manually wound mechanical movement created by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1929. Its dimensions (approximately 14mm long, 4.8mm wide, and 3.4mm tall) make it one of the smallest mechanical watch movements ever produced. It has been used in Cartier jewellery watches where conventional movement sizes would not fit within the case.
Technical specifications
The movement evolved from the Duoplan calibre (1925), whose stacked dual-level architecture Jaeger-LeCoultre miniaturised further. It uses a lever escapement. According to Jaeger-LeCoultre, it is the smallest mechanical movement ever made, a record that has stood since its introduction.
Use in Cartier watches
The Calibre 101 has appeared in Cartier jewellery watches where the case is too narrow for standard movements, including bangles and bracelets. Queen Elizabeth II wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 wristwatch set with diamonds at her coronation in 1953.
Sources
- Franco Cologni, Jaeger-LeCoultre (Flammarion, 2006)
- Hans Nadelhoffer, Cartier: Jewelers Extraordinary (Thames and Hudson, 1984; revised 2007)
- Viviana Shanks, "The Often Overlooked Story Behind the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101", Watchonista, 21 August 2020
- The Queen's Diamonds, Royal Collection Trust, 2012
