SIHH 2010: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire moonphase

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire automatic wrist watch is among the most elegant premieres of the SIHH 2010 international trade show, which is currently held in Geneva, Switzerland. The remarkable timekeeper has all the characteristic design elements of the Duometre series, but adds to the mix a moonphase complication and a partial skeletonization of the dial.

In the process, Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to change the dial layout moving the hour/minutes and date/moonphase subdials mirrorwise. The decision is logical, since you won’t have to pull your shirt’s sleeve all the way up to see the timekeeper’s most important sub-dial.

Of course, the watch has retained the normal (I could even call it “signature”) tri-compax layout with a third subdial at 6 o’clock reserved for the chronograph-style jumping seconds display.

Although the main seconds hand of the watch is, as usual, positioned right in the center of the dial, the “secondary” seconds hand is placed at 6 hours counting time in 1/6th second increments. I am not sure whether the complication has any practical purpose, but it surely looks good.

What’s the most interesting about Duometre family is that each of two main subdials has its own dedicated mainspring barrel, each capable of storing enough energy to power its own mechanism for about 50 hours (hence the two power reserve indicators between 4 and 5 o’clock and 7 and 8 o’clock.)

The only drawback of such a solution is that you will have to wind the watch twice. First, clockwise to wind the hour/minutes function, and then counter-clockwise to wind the other functions of the watch.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire will be produced in yellow gold (Ref. 6040420) and pink gold (Ref. 6042420) versions. The yellow gold model will be sold at a price of $35,100 in a limited run of 300 pieces and the pink gold model will sell at a price of $33,700 without any limitations whatsoever.

Photos: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire automatic watch specification

Price range: $33,700 (in pink gold) and $35,100 (in yellow gold)
Movement: JLC Calibre 381, automatic, 369 parts, 21,600 vph, in-house
Complications: Date, moonphase, dual power reserve, jumping seconds
Power reserve: 2 x 50 hours
Case material: Rose gold or Yellow gold
Bezel material: Rose gold or Yellow gold
Case shape: Round
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire crystal caseback
Case size: 42 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: White, partly skeletonized
Hands: Rose gold or Yellow gold
Strap: Alligator leather strap
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective coating
Water resistance: N/A