2012 ended on quite a high for Jaeger-LeCoultre following the news that the luxury Swiss watch brand had won the prestigious Watch of The Year prize for its Duometre Spherotourbillon timepiece from both the Vienna Time and Munich Time watch shows.
The fact that the watch was recognised as the best in its category at both of these high profile events pretty much tells you all you need to know with regards to how highly the timepiece is regarded within the world of watchmaking.
The Duometre Spherotourbillon featured in the Complicated Watches category and following a public vote, was named Watch of The Year at the watch exhibitions in Munich and Vienna. This was in fact the 12th year that the show has been held in Vienna, which is attended by over 10,000 people all of whom have the opportunity to have their say on which timepiece should be awarded the main prize. The Munich Time event, which was staged two weeks earlier, was in its fifth year and attracted more than 11,000 visitors.
One of the main highlights of the events was a demonstration by one of JLC’s expert watchmakers that gave a firsthand insight into the watch making process, showcasing a number of the brands revolutionary complications including the Duometre’s Dual Wing concept and also the latest timepiece from its ladies Rendez-Vous collection. There were several historical watches on show too, most notably the original 1931 Reverso and the 101, which at one time was the smallest mechanical calibre pocket watch in the world.
Jaeger-Le Coultre Duometre Spherotourbillon
Just by taking a closer look at the Duometre Spherotourbillon, it’s certainly fair to say the watch is a worthy winner of Watch the Year. The legendary spirit and tradition of Jaeger-Le Coultre combines perfectly with the technology and performance of the timepiece.
Fans of JLC probably wonder what else is there left to create when it comes to making innovative timepieces. Yet the Duometre Spherotourbillon is a great example of the brands revolutionary spirit as it is the first tourbillion that can be adjusted to the nearest second. Thanks to the multi-axis tourbillion the watch is so precise that the small second hand can be set to an extremely precise instance of time, such as the sound of the ‘beep’ on the hourly news bulletin on BBC Radio.
The Duometre Spherotourbillon is perhaps the finest example of a grand complication timepiece, with its technological performance, discreet elegance and JLC’s rich watch making tradition, it could even be said that it is the tourbillion of the future!
Just in case you were wondering, the Duometre Spherotourbillon retails for around $200,000.
Specifications
Movement: Mechanical manually-wound JLC calibre 382, hand crafted and assembled. It features a nickel silver mainplate and bridges, as well as 50hr power reserve, 460 parts, 55 jewels and 2 barrels. The movement has a diameter of 33.70mm and is 10.45mm thick.
Functions: Hours, minutes and small seconds, complete with flyback function. Power reserve indicator and pointer type display for the date. It also has a 24hr time reference zone and of course, the Spherotourbillon.
Case: The case is 18k pink gold, 42mm in diameter and has been polished satin brush finish.
Strap: The hand sewn crocodile leather strap features an 18k pink gold pin buckle.
