Introducing The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Quantieme Lunaire

The Duometre series from Jaeger-LeCoultre stands out as one of the brand's most intriguing and technically impressive lines. Since its debut with the Duometre Chronograph in 2007, this innovative concept has been applied to various complications, resulting in a range of highly precise timepieces.

Now at the occasion of watches and wonders 2024, JLC introduced a new generation of Duometre watches, including a reimagined Duometre Quantieme Lunaire (Moon Phase) model. This version, offered in steel for the first time, having previously seen it in gold. Features a striking blue dial and a modern case design.

The Duometre concept, developed in 2007, addressed a fundamental challenge in complex mechanical watches. Traditionally, complications draw energy from the same power source as timekeeping, leading to fluctuations in precision. However, by separating the power supply into two distinct streams, one for timekeeping and one for complications, linked to a single escapement, the Duometre system ensures consistent power delivery, regardless of complication operation. 

While the idea traces back to a 19th-century pocket watch with dual barrels, a double-barrel caliber still fails to address the real issue. This is because both barrels typically feed power to a single gear train responsible for both timekeeping and complications. Nonetheless, this early caliber served as a foundational concept for Jaeger-LeCoultre's 21st-century engineers and watchmakers. They developed the revolutionary Duometre concept, which effectively separates the power supply into two streams: one for timekeeping and another for complications. Each stream is linked to a single escapement, ensuring consistent power delivery regardless of complication operation.

To mark the launch of four new Duometre models in 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces an entirely fresh case design for the collection. Drawing inspiration from the Maison's 19th-century savonette pocket watches, known for their rounded contours reminiscent of a small soap disc cradled in the hand, this contemporary interpretation offers both tactile pleasure and visual allure.

The new Duometre case embodies this essence with its convex crystal and gracefully curved bezel. Redesigned, the crown features deep, rounded notches enhancing its handling comfort, while the lugs boast sharp lines on their highly polished edges, Notably, the lugs are screwed rather than integrated, allowing for diverse finishing techniques. At 10 o'clock, a pusher facilitates date adjustments.

Measuring a comfortable 42.5 mm in diameter and 13.05 mm thick, the case comprises 34 components. A combination of polished, brushed surfaces creates a captivating interplay of light with each wrist movement, while ensuring water resistance up to 50 meters.

The new interpretation of the Duometre Quantieme Lunaire, featuring a blue opaline dial and steel case, exudes a distinctly contemporary feel while maintaining its technical sophistication. The main dial which is polished indicates seconds, while subsidiary dials with sunray finishing handle other functions, showcasing perfect symmetry that highlights various complications without appearing cluttered—an intrinsic aspect of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s design DNA. Positioned at five o’clock and seven o’clock, each barrel boasts its power reserve indicator, contributing to both symmetry and the watch's remarkable accuracy.

A jumping stop seconds system, displayed through a counter at six o’clock, ensures accuracy up to 1/6th of a second, while the hours and minutes are displayed in the subdial at 2 o'clock, while the date is surrounded by a moon phase indicator at 10 o'clock.

The Duometre Quantieme Lunaire powered by the Jaeger-LeCoultre in-house caliber 381 manually-wound movement, crafted primarily from German Silver with 374 parts. Operating at 3Hz (21,600 bph), it offers a power reserve of 50 hours. Essentially, all Duometre watches from JLC feature two distinct power sources, each with a 50-hour reserve. The first, regulated by the escapement and balance, focuses solely on timekeeping, while the second powers secondary functions such as hours, minutes, seconds, calendar, and moon phase—all synchronized by the jumping seconds hand at 6 o'clock. This setup ensures chronometer-level precision without complications affecting timekeeping.

For more information please visit JLC official website.