Jaeger-LeCoultre

Owner's Review - Yellow Gold Duometre

 

Hello All,

MOVEMENT

Well this is where all the mechanical beauty happens. We all know that there are two separate power barrels here, one for the time, and another for the chronograph. The movement is also powering a 1/6th second hand for the chronograph, which is just pure horological mastery when in operation. 

The placement/finishing execution of the barrels, and the other parts of the movement, are very well placed, you know that "a lot" is going on but you can also appreciate how beautiful something complicated can be.

I am not an expert on this movement but it seems well finished and has a good shine/sheen when put under optimum lighting conditions. I also think it is made of German silver which changes color over time, like Langes too.

Dial

A very different approach than normal layouts, with the main time-keeping on the left dial, the chronograph on the right dial, and the "speedy-seconds," or 1/6th of a second dial, on the center bottom.  

You have a normal running seconds hand in gold and the chronograph running seconds hand in "blued" metal, two power reserves on the bottom left and right, one power reserve for time-keeping, and one power reserve for the chronograph, respectively. 

The dial, seen in the aggregate, looks as it is, very complicated. To have time-keeping, a chronograph, and a 1/6th of a second hand, all with power reserve(s) and two seconds hands. This dial has a lot to show you in one 42MM case. In essence, this watch means "business."

STRAP

There is a normal JLC alligator here, nothing overtly exotic, but not something you would wear in the ocean either. of course. The strap definitely fits the watch very well, as it should.

DEPLOYANT

This watch is of the time when JLC was giving gold deployants with almost every gold watch, and, I surmise, prior to the Maison looking to cut costs and thus offering normal pin buckles with most gold watches these days. It is nice to have a watch where you feel no costs where cut, generally speaking.

WRIST PRESENCE

This watch definitely makes a statement, for better or worse. The 42MM case wears large if not larger than it is, the polished and brushed gold reflects light stealing attention from nearby eyes. If you leave the 1/6th seconds consistently running, you may get "curious" eyes as to what the heck is going on, "on" your wrist. The many sub-dials/hands might also leave a passerby wondering, "why so busy?".

On the other hand, this is not a gold Rolex, which, in some senses, is good. Outside of the watch cognoscenti, the usual person will likely think it is a nice gold plated watch with busy hands, and leave it at that. When you do run into a person who knows what your watch represents, there, and then, you could be engaged in an interesting conversation about horology. I find this a double plus++.

PARTING THOUGHTS

This has been a watch I have lusted after for many years, and for many years, it was not attainable. Actually, at its MRSP, this watch is unreasonably unattainable for me. However, as we all know, the steel watch craze has pushed many gold watches downward in price and pushed many nice complicated watches downward in price also.

I appreciate that when I was over my own steel craze after parting with my 15202, I have come to appreciate so-called "dress" and "complicated" watches. Coming at a time when the general public doesn't, I find myself in good company, so at least I think.

Pictures below. 

Ted

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