Jaeger-LeCoultre

watchme
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Hi, Mo...

in 1985, Kurt Klaus was the only movement designer left at IWC. He drew the plans for and developed a perpetual calendar module that could sit on top of a base movement. At that time, IWC had no ebauche, so the brand released it on top of a ValJoux 7750 and a JLC 889. JLC was supplying IWC about 30% or 40% of IWC's movements, but JLC's were more "dress" movements (read: not as "robust," but very good, reliable, accurate and thin), so in the '90's, IWC began using predominantly ETA movements.

JLC, reciprocally, used the Kurt Klaus design, although slightly modified (moved the year module and changed it to 2 digits, not 4, then turned it upside-down), in its first Grande Reveil. Later, in the Master Perpetual (which is still one of my favorite perpetuals), the Grande Memovox, the 8-day Perpetual, and the Master Grande Reveil.

While JLC does make all it's own movements, the use of the KKPC (Kurt Klaus Perpetual Calendar) is a "borrow" of a complication module, and the only one that JLC borrows. Not that JLC can't make a perpetual calendar...the Reverso QP, the Gryo I, the Triptyque - which is the same module as the Reverso QP, but flipped) all lay testimony to JLC's ability to make QPs, not to mention, of course, JLC's long history of the pocket watch grand complications of the 19th and early 20th centuries, etc.

What makes the KKPC "BRILLIANT" is that all of the calendar functions are pre-set and advanced by one corrector (usually at 8 o'clock) on the JLC version, while the IWC is all done on the crown. The only perpetual that I would say is "better" is the Ludwig Oelschin "Ludwig Perpetual," which can advance or retard the date. The only thing it lacks is one of my favorite compications, the moonphase.

When I said my only "gripe" with the Master 8-Days SQ's was the use of the KKPC, I wasn't saying that it isn't a great watch - IT IS!!!! I just wish JLC would develop their own QP module to replace the KKPC, so that every watch would be entirely in-house.

Get it?

-Dean