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amanico
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Let's go back to the Duometre à Q.L.

One year has passed, since JLC introduced the Duometre à Quantième Lunaire at the SIHH.

It is time to go back to this watch, now.



It was a big surprise for everybody, since we didn't expected something new in the Duometre family so soon.

Indeed, the first " Coup d'éclat " was the presentation of the Duomètre à Chronographe in April 2007, 2 years before another " magistral " Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie, in September 2009.

I, for one, was not expecting a new member before 2011 or even 2012.

The other surprise was the concept behind the Duomètre à Quantieme Lunaire.

While the 2 barrels construction was purposefully used to feed a complication and the Time in an independant way, we could think that on the Quantieme Lunaire, the 2d barrel served to " feed " the moonphase and the Date, as suggested by the small apertures on the left and right side of the dial, letting show two distinct power reserves.

And, in fact, I thought so, before JLC explained to me that it was not at all the case.

Now, we all know that one barrel and its " escort " of gear trains is dedicated to the hour, the moonphase and the date, like in any watch, while the purpose of the second one is to feed the escapement, and only the escapement, which is totally uncommon.

The Cal 381 and its dual wing construction:



Now, the question is to know if this kind of construction is not too much of a solution, as the interest is not as immediately obvious as on the former Duometres.

I think that its interest is precisely in the fact that it is a watch which gives to think, to be able to understand it.

The main goal of the Duometre à Quantieme Lunaire is to work on precision, and to express it.

1/ The Work on Precision:

The precision can be affected by different factors, such as complications, or when you set the time of your watch.

Here, with the second barrel feeding the regulating organ, we can say that the goal of the precision is reached.

Nothing can disturb the good work of the balance wheel, not even the time.

While there is an even more sophisticated solution, with the escapement " à force constante ", here, I would say that it is the amplitude which is constant, by isolating the regulating organ from the inertia of the different functions ( Date, Moonphase, Hour, Minute, Second and Jumping Second ), which have their own " tank " of energy, for that.

As far as I know, this solution is a " first " in horology.

2/ The Expression of Precision:

The second " first " is that JLC went a step further in the expression of the precision, as ther " Grande Maison " offers us an innovative double hacking seconds.

On some of our current watches, when you pull the crown, the second hand stops, to allow you to set the time in an accurate way.

So, you can synchronize your time keeper with a reference hour, as an Atomic Clock, for example.

On the Duometre à Quantieme Lunaire, both the second hand and the jumping second ( precise to the 1 / 6th second ) are automatically re setted to zero, when pulling the crown.

As, on this watch, the most important is precision, JLC inverted the dials, compared to the Duometre à Chronographe.

On the Duometre à Chronographe, the time is located in the left dial, while on the Quantieme Lunaire, it is in the right dial, to allow an easier reading of time, at one glance, without having to remove your shirt sleeve.

The Chronographe:



The Quantieme Lunaire:



Smart... And coherent.

3/ Thoughts on the Duometre à Quantième Lunaire:

This new member of the Duometre family has more qualities than flaws, in my opinion.

- The flaws:

As you understood it, this watch is dedicated to precision, it is its main virtue.

I would have loved to see this precision extended to the moonphase.

Indeed, on the Quantieme Lunaire, the starwheel has a classic 59 teeth, which will generate a gap of 44 minutes and 2,8 seconds per month,or 9 hours per month, which will require to set the moonphase each 3 years.

Some watches are more performant, on this playground, such as the absolute Master, the Lange 1815 Moonphase ( a difference of one day each ... 1058 years )

To reach this theorical perfection, yes I would have preferred a more accurate moonphase, BUT is this really noticeable?

I mean, how many of us will notice this difference of one day each 3 years, when it comes to the moonphase?

How many of us will continuously wear the same watch during 3 years?

At least, you'll have a good reason the use the smooth pusher located at 10, to set the moonphase.

- The qualities:

I previously said that the most interesting thing, with the Duometre à Quantième Lunaire, was that JLC gaves us to think.

It is, to me, THE watch which naturally belongs to the category of " Intellectual Watch ", which requires some efforts and work before understanding and appreciating it, at the contrary of an " easy " watch, whose interest will immediately jump to your eyes.

If we think two seconds about it, we always and easily see when a watch is running too slow or too fast, but we never pay attention when a watch is accurate.

Precision is a discrete, unnoticeable virtue.

To challenge on this virtue is, in my opinion, the top of Elegance, and even more when you reach this goal in such an original way.

Elegance is not only an attitude, it may also be related to aesthetics.

With its predecessor, the Quantieme Lunaire shares a lot of details:

* An attractive case, whose sides are brushed, when the other parts are polished.

The dimensions are homogeneous, well proportionned ( 42 mm big x 13, 5 high ), with a nice profile of the lugs, a slim bezel, and a nice new crown.





* The dial is not less interesting:

Legible, designed with great care, well thought, you will have the choice between the smooth eggshell of the yellow gold, and the grained silvered dial of the rose gold version.

For the record, the Limited Edition in yellow gold, with its smooth eggshell dial:



To be compared to the warmer Rose Gold Quantieme Lunaire:



Eggshell or grained, what really matters is that you have a clear organisation of the dial, where all the functions are well separated.

Is the permanent jumping second a good thing or something you will get rid of, it all depends on everyone's taste.

I think that it is coherent with the spirit and the true purpose of this watch, but it is just my point of view.

To me, it gives life and dynamism to a serene dial.

What to think about the 2 geometrical apertures?

At the very first moment, I was intrigued by them, as I was used to see the plain dial of my Duometre à Chronographe.

Disturbed, not really, but intrigued.



But it allows you to see a part of the interesting Cal 381 under an unusual angle, the dial side:



You'll notice the nice decoration, the 2 power reserve, and the balance wheel which will still be in movement even if you pull the crown, revealing one of the particularity of this calibre.

As we mention the movement, let's say a few words about it.

* The case back.

I'm not a fanatic of the sapphire case back, as I appreciate them only if there is something interesting to see through it.

In the case of the Duometre, it is a positive point.

The Calibre 381 is coherent with the size of the case, as you can see:



Let' have in mind that this movement is 33,7 mm large and 7, 25 mm high, and that these proportions doesn't make it look like it is lost in the middle of the case.

Nothing very new for the Duometre Fans, as it is very close to the Duometre à Chronographe, without, of course, the chronograph parts.

A movement which is nicely decorated, very pleasing for the eyes, with a good level of finish, even if we would, as always, love to see more pronounced anglages, for example, but globally, it is an eye catching calibre.

For the comparison, the Duometre à Chronographe Cal 380:



And the Duometre à Quantieme Lunaire Cal 381:



Beating at 21 600 vibrations per hour, the Cal 381 has a power reserve of 50 Hours, which is comfortable enough.

All in all, the Quantieme Lunaire is a very appealing offer, as it is a coherent watch, deserving to belong to the Duometre Family.

Here, the accent has been put on the chronometric virtues, the precision, the moonphase being possibly seen as accessory, or a pretext to add a poetic touch to the dial.

Not the most exhuberant, but not the less interesting, at the contrary.



Looking forward to hear your thoughts and to read your comments,

Best.

Nicolas

PS: Next Chapter: The Duometre à Quantième Lunaire in White Gold.

This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-03-07 00:37:39 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-03-11 23:04:22

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