Jaeger-LeCoultre

In the modern production, there are not so many chronographs which also are world time. 

Girard Perregaux comes to mind, as soon as the very early 2000's, Patek, last year, with the 5930G, and, last but not least, Jaeger Lecoultre, with the Extreme World Compressor, in the mid 2000's. 

Girard Perregaux WWW TC: 

Patek 5930G: 

The Extreme World Compressor has been discontinued for some time, now, and Jaeger Lecoultre comes back with the same combination of complications, but this time, with the all new Polaris case. 

The " E.W.C " was a huge watch, with " generous " dimensions: 46, 3 mm big, and more than 15 mm high.

The successor is much less  bad boy, with a more sensual, less brutal and big case ( 44 mm ), much thinner, too, as it is 12, 5 mm high. It has the good taste to be made in titanium, so the weight is not too important nor fastidious. 

The only thing which doesn't change is the movement, as the Cal 752 was already used in the Extreme World Compressor. 

It is an automatic movement, made of 274 parts, beating at 28, 800 alternances per hour, with two barrels and an autonomy of 65 hours. A novelty on this movement, though, the oscillating weight, which is now made in tungsten. 

Visible through the sapphire case back: 

The chronograph measures minutes ( 30 ) and hours ( 12 ), and keeps the two subdials configuration of its elder brother, which contributes, in a big part, to the balance and the purity of the dial. 

As we are speaking of the dial, it is funny to notice that the Extreme World Compressor borrowed these trapezoidal indices to the vintage Polaris, and that the Polaris Chronograph World Time does the same... Back to Caesar which belongs to Caesar... But in a more modern and refined way. 

The dial is finished with great care, as it is the case for the other members of this new family, with a sun ray decoration for the enter part of the dial, grained for the outer part, and opaline for the bezel, which gives a very pleasant and qualitative feeling. 

Like for the Extreme World Compressor, the Polaris Chronograph World Time uses a bar to allow the rotation of the 24 hours ring, ON the dial, not UNDER, as it was not possible due to the construction of the movement.

The chronograph can be activated by two nicely designed pushers, while the crown at 10 o' clock will be used to set the 24 hours ring, in order to match it with the city ( of the world ) of your choice. 

The case is brushed and polished, which makes it look very qualitative, with some nice bevels. 

Now is the hour of the choice. Indeed, Jaeger Lecoultre doesn't come with only one Polaris Chronograph World Time, as it is available with a black dial, 

Or a blue dial. 

Are you undecided? This side by side picture may help you. 

Or not... My personal take here is that the Blue is more eye catching, but I wonder if the black is not a safer choice, in the long term.

My personal feeling on that new Chronograph World Time, now:

What I like a lot is:

- The 2 subdials chronograph, for the balance of the dial

- The lack of date, for the purity of the dial.

- The combination of a chronograph and a world time, which are both very friendly complications.

- The finishings of the dial and case. 

- The comfort and the presence on the wrist, despite the generous 44 mm case. 

- And the charm of this watch. 

What I less like:

- Only one thing, but it irritates me, the bar on the dial to rotate the 24 hours ring... I regret that Jaeger Lecoultre didn't find a more discrete solution. 

- One or two millimeters smaller would have been greater.Still it wears smaller than the size suggests it, on the paper.

- I would have preferred a lower price ( 14, 400 Euros ). 

Still, the Polaris Chronograph World Time is my favorite among the 5 members of this new family. I see it as a very nice fiction. 

What are your feelings about it? 

Best,

Nicolas

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