Innovation
Dje's original post from 2007 offers a fascinating deep dive into the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme LAB, a timepiece he boldly declared a landmark in watchmaking history. His detailed breakdown of its lubrication-free Cal. 988C movement and advanced materials provides essential context for understanding JLC's innovative spirit. This article revisits Dje's foundational insights and synthesizes the community's early reactions and expert questions, making this decade-old discussion relevant for today's collectors interested in horological innovation.
📅 Posted: April 12, 2007
✍️ By: Dje
🔍 Summary:
An extensive breakdown of the innovation behind JLC's lubrication-free Cal. 988C movement, high-tech materials like Easium™ carbonitride, and design features including the use of iridium platinum for the balance, magnesium alloy tourbillon cage, and a multi-material case.
The 10th of April 2007 was quite possibly a landmark in watchmaking history ! Are you ready to believe me?
While we were so eager at discovering more about the new Duometre a Chronometre, the real star of the year at Jaeger-LeCoultre was still about appearing.
The last few minutes before light seemed probably like an eternity to the team members who had conceived, developed, constructed, tested, achieved the new Master Compressor Extreme Lab. That's not so often that you see the men and women at MJLC being so nervous, so excited, so exhilarated! The traditional Swiss understatement was gone after two years of intensive development!
Last year we studied together the Master Tourbillon.
I thought this watch was achieved but I was far from the truth. On this base of calibre 978 the Extreme LAB team developed calibre 988C.
We know that watches need to be serviced from time to time. Lubrication is not for ever so our little machines have to be cleaned and lubricated again so that they can work flawlessly and stand as perfect chronometers. The absence of liquid lubricants or grease also means that the watch can stand a larger range of temperatures (-40 to +60 celsius).
What about changing all that and getting rid of all these oil and greases! A simple idea, just slightly more complicated to implement. Others have begun to work seriously on that, mainly around the escapement. Jaeger-LeCoultre itself has already replaced the traditionally lubricated automatic winding ball bearings with ceramic ball bearings without lubricant a few years back.
But the real challenge here is to replace ALL this short lived lubrication by real long term solutions. The parts need to be worked so that they don't need added lubricant anymore. The extensive use of high technology materials has allowed this achievement.
The principles of horology have not been changed, but extreme efficiency is again further enhanced.
The first improvement is the use of high tech materials, such as Easium™ carbonitride for making bearings, these bearings receiving the Molybdenum Disulfide (MOS2) coated steel pivots for instance for the balance staff without the need for any jewel.
The traditional red color of the pallet stones has also disappeared, being replaced by the formal elegance of some black crystalline diamonds, chosen for their efficiency much superior to "real" diamonds. No lubricant overthere anymore either! To some extent I guess that we could say that the "lubricant", if I may still use this word, is build with and inside each part in itself, kind of "auto-lubrication".
The tourbillon carriage is machined from blocks of a magnesium alloy. It is two and a half times lighter than titanium, helping to decrease losses due to friction.
The main barrel is also freed from any need for grease through the use of graphite powder. Graphite powder helps the bride to slide smoothly inside the drum when the mainspring has been wound beyond maximum power reserve by the automatic winding mechanism.
Isochronism of the balance spring has been optimized with a Phillips terminal curve and the creation of a "bend" in the center of the spring. This bend is "a distortion of the balance spring at a specific place, close to the collet pinning-point, and which at given moments modifies the rigidity of the spring and corrects the tendency of any spring to breathe in an off-centred manner".
The balance, no longer a wheel, has been re-designed to decrease the mechanical friction with the air, through reducing the surface of the arms. JLC research has concluded that a large surface of balance decreases its aerodynamic performances and increases the need for energy to maintain the oscillations. The new balance has been built in iridium platinum, the densest non-toxic physical body currently available, thus allowing for keeping the 11.5 mg x cm² inertia with a minimum aerodynamic loss of energy. The design of the balance arm has been carefully worked to decrease the mass/inertia ratio, allowing a more constant rate no matter the position, and consequently a more precise adjustment of the watch.
Adjustment is made using screws placed on the balance, like on all JLC automatic calibres now. Cadence is regulated to 28800 vibrations per hour.
The watch is really a Compressor series design, bringing to a further step the work initiated by Magali Metrailler a few years back. This design is definitely not for everybody, but I find it very consistent with the exceptional technical content and very pleasing to my taste.
Bridges are made of aluminium alloys, the center bridge being made of Ticalium®, aluminium reinforced with particles of titanium carbide. Hardness and resistance are improved by 20% without increasing the density.
The case construction reflects the movement with the association of carbon (central part of case), silicon carbonitride (bezel) and grade 5 titanium (top and back of case). Three patents have been filed for this case: 1°) the original structure with an interior carbon fibre case fitted inside a titanium ring, 2°) the suspension mounting of the movement on a silent block made from a supple red polyurethane material, 3°) the notched adjustment of the strap fastening to ensure a perfect fit around the curve of the wrist.
This automatic tourbillon watch gets two time zones with an AM/PM pointer indication at noon and a jumping date display.
The red touch is the combination of the red supple polyurethane silent block, the red hands, the red eloxed aluminium crown, and the red alcantara inside the leather on cordura canvas strap.
The rotor has been opimized with carbon fiber arms and a lighter and more rigid base. The oscillating weight is made in iridium platinum like the balance. The entire winding/time setting
mechanism is coated with nickel/PTFE to do without liquid lubricant.
So this extraordinary watch is definitely a world premiere, letting us hope for soon to come implementations of its technical advances in the affordable range of watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The rotor and balance may be the first subjects of implementation. For the happy few who can't wait but can afford, a small series will be produced and sold to the final customers, a la Ferrari FXX if I may say. If you're about treating yourself with a racing machine, you may want to have a closer look.
On top of a technical success, this watch is a testimony to the Manufacture innovation spirit. The Extreme LAB team be justly and rightfully proud of their first baby, they may just write the first page of the future of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Dje
. . .thanks Dje; this brings the notion of a sports tourbillon to a whole new level. So really this isn't a lubrication free watch per se; it's a 'dry lubricant' watch (except of course for the pallets) using PTFE (Teflon) in the train and graphite in the mainspring barrel? It's a very interesting idea- I wonder how the PTFE and graphite will hold up over time. One thing's for sure; since it's using non-liquid lubricants it seems most likely that this watch will prove highly resistant to any pro
It certainly looks very interesting, the dial is rather busy although I actually prefer it to the AMVOX 2 (heresy they say!). As with Jack I do question the durability of PTFE aka Teflon (hands up those who have teflon coated pots and pans and seen how scratched they get after a few years) and Gore-Tex (again, when used in outdoor apparel+gear, known to degrade under pressure/abrasion). Are JLC replacing the well-known and understood wet-lubrication process with a more complicated dry-lubricatio
technically impressive, the overall design leaves a great deal to be desired. As usual with MJLC the watch is a technical tour de force - if only they had housed the piece in a case that fitted the R&D on the inside. What is the point of the carbon fibre on the side? Why not change to some other form of case shape (with an integrated strap), made of more exotic materials. I know I gripe too much, but the design of the piece lets it down in a rather major way. Your dedication to this forum is bey
I must say I do also love this shot. Timeless.
I have no doubt about JLC is always the master manufacture of movement, but I was wonder about JLC out side design (case,dial ) and finishing. I think new Master Compressor Extrem LAB have both great movement and design, good finishing too. JLC have great achivement and it maybe a remarkable in JLC business .
JLC research has concluded that a large surface of balance decreases its aerodynamic performances and increases the need for energy to maintain the oscillations. I would really like to know how they researched this. Did they use CFD, analytical research or, perhaps, put a balance in a windtunnel . It seems to me when you do not use a full wheel you introduce induced drag. Did they do a trade-off study to compare both balances, or just figured less area is less friction drag. Ok, they're probably
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