The Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire embodies the latest in horological achievements of Jaeger-LeCoultre: it displays time with a jumping seconds hand showing 1/6th of a second increments and additionally providing the date and the age of the moon in a separate sub dial. The true genius of this watch however lies within the Dual-Wing movement concept, which features two independent power supplies: one entirely dedicated to creating a perfect timing foundation – regulated by escapement and balance –, the other solely for the display of time – hour, minute and seconds hands – as well as date and the age of the moon for the Northern as well as the Southern hemisphere. Both are synchronized through the jumping seconds hand mechanism driven by the escapement.
Movement:
• mechanical manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 381, crafted, assembled and decorated
by hand
• 21,600 vibrations per hour
• 50-hour power reserve
• 369 parts
• 40 jewels
• 7.25 mm high
• 33.7 mm diameter
• two independent barrels
Functions:
• hours, minutes, seconds, jumping-second, date, moon-phase (North and South), age of the moon, power reserve
• movement power reserve
Dial:
• black, matt with appliqués numerals
Hands:
• hour and minute: leaf-type, brass, gold-plated
• seconds: baton with pear-shaped counterweight, gold-plated
Crown:
• 1 crown to start the watch, to wind the watch functions power reserve, to wind the movement power reserve and to adjust the hours and minutes
• 1 push piece to set the date
• 1 corrector to set the moon phase
Case:
• diameter 42 mm, thickness: 13.5 mm
• 18-carat white gold
• welded lugs
• polished and satin-brushed finishing
• cambered sapphire crystals, hardness N° 9, glareproofed on front and back
• water resistance: 5 atm
Straps:
• matt black alligator leather with folding clasp in 18-carat white gold
Reference:
• Q6043570, limited series of 200
She's a beauty. This is perhaps my favorite innovation:
The watch features two seconds hands. One at the center and a second one at 6 o’clock: a jumping seconds hand accurate to 1/6th of a second. Setting the time is easily performed by pulling the crown: Then both seconds hands, the center seconds hand and the jumping seconds hand jump to the zero-position leaving the escapement running. Pushing the crown activates both hands simultaneously by re-coupling into the running escapement. Once released, the wheels of the hands simply interlock with the active mechanism and begin to turn on the spot at the speed of the clock, which is 3 Hertz. This accuracy is reached instantaneously because the balance has been breathing even with the hands on hold. Whereas with the traditional second’s stop, which freezes the balance wheel, the watch needs several minutes before it is back in its original rhythm – minutes, in which the balance wheel has to pick up speed again and which add up to a time deviation of many seconds. Thus precise adjustment with a timing signal for normal watches remains an illusion. The mechanism behind the two hands is based on two escape wheels fixed to the same axis: one works with the lever while the other is driving the seconde foudroyante through the jumping seconds star. Upon pulling the crown, a lever is stopping the jumping second when it reaches the zero-position. At the same time a “return to zero” hammer pushes the central second’s hand to the 12 o’clock position through the use of a seconds heart cam. No other watch allows for such an accurate setting of the time, and this technical feature is perfectly in line with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s quest for even more accuracy in timekeeping.
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