Jaeger-LeCoultre

respo
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EWA, all the way!

I won’t comment on the aesthetics because this is a matter of taste. You definitely have to decide on whether or not the design and look of the EWA appeals to you.  But the EWA is both “tough and refined,” to use your words. The compression keys, water resistance and shock absorption all help to make this rugged. A quick change of the strap from, say, rubber to a bracelet would help you achieve a more refined look as needed. The EWA makes for a great travel watch given the combination of world time and alarm functions (and the rapid change date is a nice feature, too). One thing to keep in mind when you are looking for a tough watch that you intend to wear in less than genteel situations: size matters.  A watch this size is bound to bump into things even through normal daily wear, so it will soon sport small scratches and swirls on the case and lugs. You just need to be prepared for that.

The relatively new and large 36.2mm movement Calibre 912 was developed from the ground up and is very interesting. The 912 employs a new Jaeger alarm mechanism. The gong surrounds the movement, something like a minute repeater, if I understand correctly, and it is secured to the side of the case by two pins. By way of contrast, the Memovox alarm mechanism, is fixed to the back of the case. The new round shaped gong, a new hammer shape and thin fastening allow for optimized resonance and a consistent, clear, loud and strong sound. Also, when the alarm is fully wound, the alarm can be turned on or off simply by the pushpieces around the 10 o'clock city crown, which is a neat and unusual feature: Press the lower part of the double-sided pushpiece to immediately stop the alarm from striking, and press the upper part to activate the alarm.  I find wat JLC did on the inside of this watch to be most interesting as it represents a next generation of alarm watches from the Manufacture, and that is saying something.  (Nicolas, please correct me if I am wrong about any of this since you are the de facto alarm expert as evidenced by your collection, which is growing at an alarming rate, I might add.)

If you have the opportunity, try both the gold and the Ti/SS versions to see which one sounds better to you as well as the looks.  This is definitely one of those watches that you need to hear as well as see in the metal.

Ok, I will comment on the aesthetics: this is one HOT watch!

respo