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Jaeger-LeCoultre
For the past years JLC has habituated us in presenting quite a few novelties and in house movements each year. JLC is definitely a brand which is hot. They are beginning to be respected not only as a fantastic movement maker but also of a brand with bold designs especially with the Master Compressor models. This year they were presenting no less that 4 new movements 2 of them being a chronograph and a minute repeater!
Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph
A HUGE 46mm world time chronograph. The size I was told is due to the antic choc mechanism which necessitates a big case filled with air to protect the movement in case of a violent choc. The watch is quite cool with quite a few interesting and alternative implementations of time reading with a red disc which fills an aperture at 6 for the seconds and a rotating disc at 9 for the minutes counter.
Master Compressor Chronograph
A “civil” version of the previous in a 39mm case without the world time. A very attractive wrist watch.
Master Grand Reveil
A perpetual calendar with alarm. The novelty here is that the alarm function can either be audible or tactile ! By pressing a button the watch will either “ring” at the selected time or only vibrate. A very useful and interesting complication and also a very attractive design. But why a 43mm case?
Master Calendar with power reserve
What a beautiful watch!! As much as I found the previous version bland, the dial lay out with the day and moth indications spread on the outer part of the dial and the power reserve indication at 12 absolutely a brilliant idea giving the watch a very contemporary look. Yet another pleasant surprise and yet another useful complication.
Master Repetition Minutes Antoine Lecoultre
After last year’s Gyrotourbillon JLC presents a new horological feat. A minute repeater with a 15 day power reserve!! The chimes are loud and crisp and the regulator very silent. We were told that JLC had worked with musicians to obtain such a crystalin sound and to do so the gongs were in contact with the crystal protecting the dial of the watch.
The case is beautiful, massive and visually impressive, the dial has great equilibrium with different sections which have been cut open as to admire the movement. The power reserve is placed on the left hand side and a torque indicator on the right. I do believe that the torque indicator was purely placed as a counterweight to the power reserve indicator since I am not certain that such an indicator is necessary on a watch with such a long power reserve.
One minor reserve I have on this watch which is absolutely stunning both technically and aesthically is the 44mm case. The movement itself is 34mm and due to the fact that the loudness of the chimes result from the gongs being in contact with the upper crystal a big case to amplify the chimes is no longer necessary. So why such a large case?
OK, OK, I’ll stop here with my remarks on large cases (or at least I will try to).
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Copyright April 2005 - Alex Ghotbi, Alberto Schileo and ThePuristS.com - All rights reserved
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