Jaeger-LeCoultre

 

 

Being able to take some side by side pictures of two rare birds, the Black Duometres à Quantieme Lunaire and à Chronographe, was something I wanted to live since I saw the Q.L in Geneva, at the SIHH, this year.

 

The black dialed Duometre à Chronographe let me a strong souvenir, and when I discovered the colored gold versions of the Q.L, I was hoping that the following year, we'd have such a combination on this 2010 novelty.

 

At first sight,  some may think that the black dialed Q.L is aestethically too close to the Chronographe... At first sight, only.

 

This is the purpose of this post: To show you that, even if they may appear very close, the two black brothers are really different.

 

The Quantième Lunaire:

 

 

 

 

The Chronographe:

 

 

 

 

This is not only a  question of complications, this is more, in my opinion, a matter of personality, which is revealed by some subtilities...

 

Let's see that in the details.

 

1/ The clear separation of the time and the complication.

 

On the Duometre à Chronographe, there is indeed a clear separation between the Chronograph and the Time, highlighted by the use / choice / option of 2 different colored hands ( white for the time, rose gold for the chronograph indications ).

 

This is less true on the Quantieme Lunaire:

 

While the Time is indicated by white gold hands, and the Date by a rose gold hand, we should have expected that the age of the moon and is phase are ALSO using  colored gold hands.

 

This is not the case...

 

As well as the power reserve hand of the balance wheel, which is in white gold,  like the hand of the date / quantieme lunaire power reserve.

 

The difference can be partially explained: If you choose hands  from the same color of gold for the moonphase, the age of the moon and the date, you may create some confusion between all these informations, and the outcome may not be very legible.

 

So, pragmatism, in this case, is more important than a perfect  or absolute " chromatic balance ".

 

Partially, as, in my opinion, there is no explanation on why JLC opted for the same  white gold hands for the power reserve of the balance wheel and of the quantieme lunaire. This is not a matter of legibility, here, the two indicators being clearly separated.

 

 

 

 

Is this because the first purpose on  the Quantieme Lunaire  is accuracy, while on the Chronographe, both the time and the chronograph are equally important?

 

That is a bit how I see the things, personally, but it is just my take, here.

 

 

2/ Coldness and warmth...A matter of personality.

 

The black dial gives a lot of strenght, presence, contrast and adds a bit of warmth to the Duometre à Chronographe.

 

By the way, I will dedicate a whole post on the Duometre à Chronographe in platinum, compared to its black dialed brother, with some detailled pictures...

 

But, when you compare it to the Quantième Lunaire, the Chronographe is still a bit cold.

 

What makes a huge difference here is the presence of the Moonphase.

 

The Chronographe, on the left, and the Q.L, on the right:

 

 

 

 

Warmth, Poetry, those are the two words which immediately come to my mind.

 

As  previously said in another post, I was afraid, when seeing the moonphase disc, that this noe would not be improved, as I was not impressed at all by its quality.

 

My fear has disappeared, on the definitive watch.

 

The combination of the blue moonphase disc and the black dial is not only beautiful, it is also romantic.

 

I always pest against the dark blue Anti Reflect  Coating, but here, due to the presence of the blue moonphase, it is a bit like if you were in presence of a dark and pure summer night, on the black dial. Magnificent.

 

 

 

 

Precision and Poetry, these are the main goals, and the character of the Duometre à Quantième Lunaire, without doubt.

 

3/ Similar, but different.

 

Of course, there are some common parts between these 2 Duometres: The color of the dial, the white outer ring, the choice of the color for the hands, the organisation of the dial, its layout, and the " foudroyante " small second.

 

But, even when similar, they are different.

 

Have a look at this picture:

 

 

 

 

You will tell me that you don't see any difference... Have a better look, and you will have a clue.

 

It is impossible to have a side by side picture of two same Duometres ( to be clear, two Chronographes, or two Quantiemes Lunaires ) with this outcome, with the two dials dedicated to Time, side by side.

 

The answer is that, on the Quantième Lunaire, JLC  located the Time subdial  on the right part of the watch, and not on the left, which is the case on the Chronographe.

 

Why?

 

My guess is that, like I said before, the main purpose of the Quantième Lunaire is to display an accurate time, and if you can read it in an asier way ( when you have it on your wrist, the information you'll be able to read first is the Time, at the contrary of the Chronographe, on which this is the Chronograph you first see, because the two functions are equally important .

 

Logical, and pragmatic, once again.

 

The two Beauties together:

 

 

 

 

You will also notice that  on both of them, you have a pusher, which is not located at the same side of the case ( ( on the right for the Chronographe, while it is on the left, on the Q.L ), but, in both cases, it is  close to the complication it serves.

 

Similar but different, that is what we can also say about the movements.

 

The Chronographe ( Cal 380 ) :

 

 

 

 

The Quantième Lunaire ( Cal 381 ) :

 

 

 

 

Of course, as they are both Duometres, the concept of the movement is the same, mechanically and aesthetically.

 

- 2  independant barrels, one dedicated to a complication, the other to the balance wheel or Time, a large balance wheel beating at the slow pace of 21 600 alterances per hour, 50 hours power reserve, a high level of decoration with an interesting finish.

 

The " air de famille " is obvious between these 2 shining stars, but they are different, as shown on the side by side photo:

 

 

 

 

Of course, all the Chronograph parts disappeared on the Quantième Lunaire, but there is more than this natural obvious difference:  On the Chronographe, the bridges are much more sculptured, differently shaped, too, and you have this flange, at the left of the wheel,  on the Q.L, between 9 and 11 o'clock, which is used to reset the 2 second hands ( the central one and the small Foudroyante ) to zero.

 

Both limited to 200 pieces, these 2 Duometre in White Gold show some important differences.

 

The last question is to know if it is worth getting both of them.

 

Personally, I think YES.

 

First, because of the inner beauty of these marvels.

 

Then, and last  but not least, because of the interest of these horological beasts:

 

The Chronographe is one of the finest, in this complication,  and so is the Quantième Lunaire,  which is a romantic Chronometre, and  quite unique in this category.

 

Looking forward to reading your comments,

 

Best.

 

Nicolas.