Jaeger-LeCoultre

Forgive me for this " Habemus Papam " horological version, but I couldn't resist to do it... 

Yes, I have many reasons to be happy, very happy to FINALLY own a Jaeger Lecoultre Duomètre à Chronograph. 

When this Chronograph was unveiled in 2007, it was love at first sight. Just after the SIHH, I paid a visit to my AD and ordered it. 11 months later, my AD gave a me call to inform me that the Duometre has just landed and that I could pick it whenever I wanted... Which I did 15 minutes after, as you can guess. 

Since March 2008 till the 18th of January 2011, I was a very happy and proud owner of this watch. 

Mine had something very special: The case was not a boutique edition, but the dial was. So, one of its kind: Platinum case, white grained dial. 

On the 18th of January, I received a phone call to inform me that I have been burglarized, and that the Duometre à Chronograph was part of my stolen watches... 

Ok, there were some important watches in the list of those which " disappeared "... But the Duometre was one of the most important, to me, as it is, in my opinion, one of the finest modern chronograph, along with the Datograph or the Montblanc Villeret Chronographs ( 13.21 and 16.29, among others), but with something more, compared to the Lange, its originality. 

I had to face a serious dilemma, and it took me quite some time to solve it: For me, it was quite impossible, psychologically, to convince myself that I had to buy TWICE a watch. It has gone, it has gone, so, let's move forward, turn a page and go for something else. 

That's why I was very happy to see JLC releasing the Duometre Unique Travel Time, in 2013. A new Duometre, which pleases me a lot, with a complication which is very dear to my heart, the Travel Time and quite a special and sophisticated one. 

Then I saw the Duometre à Quantième Lunaire coming, with its gorgeous enamel dial... I am a big fan of enamel dials, and a true Duometre lover, so why not this one as well, as another alternative? 

The UTT or the QL enamel could psychologically solve my dilemma, I would buy a watch which I didn't own yet, it makes sense. 

But the A Chronographe was still stuck in my mind... After all, the A Chronographe is the first Duometre, which means a totally new watch, at that time: A new case, a new dial, a new movement, a new... Concept. 

When I reviewed this watch, some 8 years ago, there was a detail which mainly caught my attention: The Duometre was created for the Chronograph. This complication received the honors it deserved, I mean it was not treated in a secondary way, just added in a time only watch. 

When you look at the dial, it becomes clear: The Chronograph is THE Star: One equally important sub dial dedicated to the Chronograph, plus a counter dedicated to the one sixth of a second. The Chronograph measures hours ( 12 ), minutes ( 60 ), seconds and one sixth of a second, in a " foudroyante " way. 

To make it legible, the time and the chronograph functions have been treated in a different color: Rose gold for the chronograph, white gold for the time. You can get confused. You immediately know what you are seeing / reading. 

The other more subtle, but not less important, detail is the Dual Wing Concept: In fact, to make it short, you have two barrels in the Duometre movements, and, of course, in the A Chronographe Cal 380: One is dedicated for the time, the other for the complication, in order to avoid any pollution of the time, when the chronograph runs. 

So, the schema is the following: Two independent barrels with their own gear trains, one balance wheel. 

I think this is a first for a wristwatch, and that this concept was inspired from a Lecoultre Pocket Watch from the 18th or 19th Century. 

So, after " waving " too much time, 5 years, to be precise, I made my mind and opted for the Duometre à Chronographe. 

Not the platinum, this time, but the white gold, whose black dial makes it look much more different from the one I owned before, and adds a touch of coolness and strength to its natural elegance. 

To be honest, if my platinum Duometre didn't disappear, I would not have changed it for the white gold version. Even if this white gold iteration gave me some strong and positive feelings when I discovered it at the SIHH in 2010. 

One more year to try to fund it, and a friend who was willing to put it on hold for me for such a long time, the planets were well aligned, at the end of past year, FINALLY. 

... For my greatest satisfaction. 

Do you want to laugh? 

Now that I achieved to get this Duometre, I am thinking about getting my next one. 

I know it will be the Unique Travel Time, the only thing I still don't know is how much time it will take me to have it! 

Collectors... Are made of this. 

Best,

Nicolas

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