Precision has always been a cornerstone of the work done inside the Jaeger-LeCoultre workshops, as the brand has doggedly pursued accurate mechanical timekeeping for the best part of nearly two centuries. While last year saw a revitalisation of the iconic Reverso, the new watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre return its focus to this central tenet of the maison at Watches & Wonders in 2024, courtesy of three highly sophisticated Duomètre references.
Originally launched in 2007, the Duomètre concept was conceived by Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmakers attempting to resolve the problem of complications (e.g. stopwatch) excessively/inconsistently impacting a watch’s power reserve.
In response, they created a mechanism that featured two different mainsprings connected by a single regulating organ. In English? One power source for the time-telling component; and another for the complication, all whilst maintaining perfect synchronisation.
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To make a car-related comparison: picture a hypercar with a different motor for each of the four wheels, all working in tandem to deliver an optimal driving experience. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Duomètre is kinda like that, with the concept serving as the springboard for the entire 2024 collection.
Highlights From The 2024 Jaeger-LeCoultre Collection
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual
Featuring both a grand date display and perpetual calendar, the star of the Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual show is its spinning triple-axis tourbillon. By rotating on a trio of different axes, the tourbillon (which weighs just 0.7g) appears like a spinning top as it ticks away at 28,800vph; and is the beating heart of the brand-new manually wound, cylindrical hairspring-equipped Calibre 388.
As befits an uber-complicated release of this magnitude, the watch is powered by two mainsprings — each individually generating 50 hours of reserve power.
This debut mechanism is contained within a 34-part rose gold case that measures 44mm in diameter, standing at14.7mm in thickness — fair proportions for such a complicated watch.
Aside from the tourbillon, the majority of the dial is silvered and is able to display an enormous amount of information: notably including the power reserve of the former complication, and of the watch itself.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Quantième Lunaire
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Quantième Lunaire represents an innovation for the Duomètre range, as it’s the first reference in the collection to ever be cased in stainless steel.
Arriving with a case that measures 42.5mm in diameter and 13.05mm in thickness, the case is inspired by the so-called savonette pocket watches of the 1800s, which were given this nickname thanks to their resemblance to small soap discs.
The deep blue of the dial is inspired by sectors on vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre watches; but laid out so as to show the time, moonphases, date (and even a 1/6th of a second display) in as symmetrical a fashion as possible.
As with all of the new Duomètre releases, the watch powering this Quantième Lunaire is the manually wound Calibre 381: equipped with two mainspring barrels, for the time-telling and complicated elements of the watch respectively.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Chronograph Moon
Finally, at this year’s Jaeger-LeCoultre presentation, we have the Duomètre Chronograph Moon: offering a play of complicated contrasts, with an ultra-accurate 1/6th of a second chronograph and moonphase display.
Offered in both platinum with an opaline copper-colour dial (the word “salmon” comes to mind) or pink gold with a silver opaline dial, the case measures 42.5mm in diameter and 14.2mm in thickness and is paired with a handsome alligator leather strap.
At the heart of both references lies the manually wound Calibre 391, which offers the classic Duomètre twin 50-hour power reserve indicators. It’s thanks to this movement that the watchmakers at Jaeger-LeCoultre have been able to deliver monopusher chronographs in 2024, as well as moonphases (which chart day and nighttime phases separately).
