ReviewDual Advantage: Presenting Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Duomètre Quantième Lunaire Timepiece

The Vallée de Joux region in Switzerland is home to many esteemed watchmaking maisons, and among them, Jaeger-LeCoultre holds a special pride of place. It was during the 17th century, that the Swiss Jura region blossomed into becoming the epicentre of fine watchmaking, with most companies specialising in developing Grande Complications—watches with ultra-complicated movements. So, one can only imagine how high the bar was raised with so many haute horlogerie players thriving in that challenging environment. And this is where artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre have been painstakingly crafting some of the most high-end watches in the business, ever since their establishment in 1833. They are credited with developing the record-breaking Calibre 101—a revolutionary movement launched in 1929, which still remains the smallest mechanical calibre in the industry. And of course, one cannot even begin to wax eloquent about the Reverso—one of the icons of the horological universe, with a design so unique that it’s not an easy feat to replicate. While these innovations will always be incomparable, there’s another highly underrated mechanism developed by the brand, which is probably not spoken of as much as it deserves. We are talking about their Dual-Wing concept—based on a certified-chronometer pocket watch created by the maison in 1881, equipped with Calibre 19/20RMSMI—a movement with two barrels and two independent gear trains.

This timekeeper had a minute repeater function and a dead-beat second mechanism, with a dedicated gear train and allowed one to add more complications without burdening the regulating organ, thereby maintaining utmost precision in the watch. This forms the basis of the Duomètre collection, which also features the concept of two barrels and one independent regulating organ, highlighting the brand’s constant quest for innovation and precision in their timepieces. And this mechanism has been incorporated in the Duomètre Quantième Lunaire—a sophisticated moon phase complication with a jumping stop seconds with zero/reset system among other features. Let’s take a closer look…

Dual-Wing—A Revolutionary Concept

First unveiled in 2007, the Dual-Wing concept is based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s pocket watch from 1881, equipped with Calibre 19/20RMSMI (as mentioned earlier). This enabled the brand to showcase their own take on the chronograph by first fitting this mechanism in the Duomètre Chronographe, thereby giving this watch an accuracy found in chronometers, while displaying the time counted off to the nearest 1/6th of a second. It was then subsequently adapted for the Duomètre Quantième Lunaire and the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon watches. This system ensures high precision and accuracy, thanks to two independent gear trains in a single mechanism where the first one is dedicated solely for the functioning of complications, and the second one ensures precise measurement of the elapsed time. However, they are united by a single regulating organ, which ensures that these two gear trains work in utmost harmony, guaranteeing incomparable precision-timing performance for a watch with complications.

First unveiled in 2007, the Dual-Wing concept is based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s pocket watch from 1881, equipped with a movement with two barrels and two independent gear trains. The Duomètre Quantième Lunaire features this system that ensures high precision and accuracy, thanks to two independent gear trains, where the first one is dedicated solely for the functioning of complications, and the second ensures precise measurement of the elapsed time. They are united by a single regulating organ, which ensures that these two gear trains work in utmost harmony

The Duomètre Quantième Lunaire—A Lesson In Mechanical Mastery

Like any other Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece, the Duomètre Quantième Lunaire combines innovation and aesthetics with supreme sophistication. It’s a reflection of their watchmaking ethos and the mastery that the brand have achieved with their savoir-faire that is showcased from the detailing on the dial to the complexity of the movement. Clearly, no detail has been overlooked here! It comes in a 42mm, 18-karat pink gold case, measuring just 13.6mm in thickness, and is polished and satin-brushed. It features welded lugs and is water-resistant to 50m.

The dial showcases perfect symmetry as it highlights various complications. At five o’clock and at seven o’clock, each barrel has its own power reserve indicator, in sync with the symmetry and construction of this watch

₹52,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

The jumping stop seconds system displayed through a counter at six o’clock, ensures accuracy of up to 1/6th of a second while the calendar even displays the age of the moon

₹52,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

It comes in a 42mm, 18-karat pink gold case, measuring just 13.6mm in thickness, and is polished and satin-brushed. It features welded lugs and is water-resistant to 50m

₹52,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

01

The dial showcases perfect symmetry as it highlights various complications, without looking cluttered or too busy—intrinsic to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s design DNA. At five o’clock and at seven o’clock, each barrel has its own power reserve indicator, in sync with the symmetry and also explaining why the watch is able to function so accurately. Here, these two separate barrels, supply energy to two separate hour-minute and moon phase calendar mechanisms. The jumping stop seconds system displayed through a counter at six o’clock, ensures accuracy of up to 1/6th of a second, and the calendar even displays the age of the moon. Each component on the watch face has been carefully balanced against a silvered backdrop with a grained finish and highlights the hour markers in Arabic numerals or in applique, as well as the watch’s polished hands. So while the timepiece may look conventional, the complexity of the movement—Calibre 381, makes it anything but that.

Calibre 381—The Movement Powered By Dual Force

The Duomètre Quantième Lunaire is driven by the manufacture Calibre 381, composed of 375 components, which makes this manual-winding marvel even more appealing. It is crafted, assembled and decorated by hand, contains 42 jewels, and measures 7.41mm in height and 33.70mm in diameter. Beating at a frequency of 21,600vph, it can keep the watch ticking for at least 50 hours, when fully wound. At the core, it functions on the Dual-Wing concept, through which, the brand have been able to address a recurrent problem on complex mechanical watches, since any complication naturally consumes some of the power provided by the barrel.

It is driven by the in-house Calibre 381, composed of 375 components, crafted and decorated by hand. Measuring 7.41mm in height and 33.70mm in diameter, it beats at 21,600vph to supply a 50-hour power reserve

On turning the watch over, one can admire this mechanism, fully decorated with traditional techniques such as the patented Côtes soleillées—that leaves an impression on the metal surface similar to the rays of the sun

This energy consumption disrupts the constant supply that is required by the regulating organ to function as precisely as possible. It’s absolutely imperative that the power supply delivered by the barrel to the gear trains and escapement in a watch should be absolutely steady, so as to maintain utmost accuracy. This concept serves to separate energy provision to the complication from that to the movement, which is fed by its own barrel, thus guaranteeing a constant level of supply. And on turning the watch over, one can admire this mechanism in its absolute glory. The movement is fully decorated with traditional techniques such as the patented Côtes soleillées—that leaves an impression on the metal surface similar to the rays of the sun, blued screws, and circular graining, all enhanced as the light hits them, making them even more magnificent… Truly a sight to behold!