2013/01/26 (Update 2013/09/30)

*Jaeger-LeCoultre "New Productions 2013"

Jaeger-LeCoultre the Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet

 

The legend gets a makeover

In 2013, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet timepiece is writing a new chapter in the field of underwater exploration: its illustrious ancestry is matched by a peerlessly reliable movement endowed with signature Jaeger-LeCoultre functions, while its case embodies an exceptional technological breakthrough.

This outstanding model owes its appeal first and foremost to its noble origins, since it stems directly from the famous Memovox Deep Sea introduced in 1959, the first automatic diver’s watch equipped with an alarm and which had called upon the full inventive force of the Jaeger- LeCoultre watchmakers.

Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes another step forward by unveiling a timepiece loyal to its classical inspiration while firmly in the technological vanguard with its reinforced Cermet case. This unique association might well put an end to the longstanding quarrel between Ancients and Moderns. Especially since the chronograph boasts an exclusive additional security feature. This ingenious device is inspired by the Chronoflight onboard chronograph, invented in 1930 to equip aircraft and greatly appreciated by pilots until the mid-1950s.

An instrument intended for professionals
This timepiece is professional in more than one respect, since it meets all the criteria laid down for diver’s watches in the ISO 6425 standard. It has a unidirectional rotating bezel, while the luminescent hands and hour-markers enable easy and error-free indication readings, even in poor visibility conditions. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet watch fully complies with the requirements established by the ISO standard regarding shock resistance and antimagnetic protection. Finally, as a reminder that this timepiece water-resistant to 10 bar (100 metres) is designed to guarantee absolute reliability in an aquatic environment, its solid caseback is adorned, like the historical model, with an engraving of a frogman surrounded by bubbles. The diver’s watch is teamed with a calfskin strap complete with a varnished edge ensuring it remains fully impermeable, whatever the circumstances.

An icon gets a facelift with a brand-new case
The case also calls for specific attention: despite its generous 44 mm diameter, it conveys a surprising sense of lightness on the wrist. The reason lies in the use of reinforced Cermet, a revolutionary material composed of an aluminium matrix – hence its low weight – reinforced by ceramic particles topped by a 40 micron-thick protective ceramic coating.

Reinforced Cermet – of which the composite name derived from ceramics and metal reflects the technology – boasts an impressive array of advantages. It is more resistant to shocks and pressure than pure ceramics, an asset that divers are sure to appreciate to the full. Due to its insensitivity to extreme temperatures, this material is also used in aeronautics and on Formula 1 racing-car engines. Moreover, its ceramic protective layer is more resistant to scratching than steel. Finally, the lightness of reinforced Cermet – which weighs 66% less than titanium – makes it the ideal material for a 44 mm-diameter case and particularly suited to professional diving purposes.

A distinctive Jaeger-LeCoultre feature
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet is driven by mechanical automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 758 housing a balance oscillating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, and incorporates the latest results of the research conducted by the Manufacture in the realm of anti-shock protection. Crafted, assembled and decorated by hand, this movement ensures a 65-hour power reserve.

On the Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet diver’s watch, a chronograph operating indicator composed of two discs (one red and one white) contributes to enhancing diver’s safety by enabling them to check at a glance whether the chronograph is running, stopped or reset.

This specific feature is inspired by an historical Jaeger-LeCoultre invention: the Chronoflight onboard chronograph. This device invented by the Jaeger company in the 1930s soon earned its place aboard aircraft and later on sports car dashboards. At the time, it took the form of a dial with numerous counters and totalizers which notably made it possible to add up flight times while deducting stop-over durations. For over three decades, its robustness and its reliability – both of which were indispensable in withstanding the harsh conditions inherent in aeronautical endeavours during the first half of the 20th century – made it one of the most precious cockpit instruments, while famous racing drivers soon became convinced of its sterling qualities and demanded to have it fitted on their speed machines.

In particular, the Chronoflight comprised an ingenious device related to the chronograph function, which the Manufacture has now resolved to make available to 21st century divers.

Jaeger-LeCoultre devotees with a penchant for strictly historically-inspired models will find the model of their dreams at Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Vintage Chronograph Cermet, on which the hands and hour-markers are enhanced by a luminescent orange coating exactly reflecting the shade used on the first Jaeger-LeCoultre diver’s watches.

In celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2013, Jaeger-LeCoultre has chosen to hark back to one of the finest chapters in its history by turning the spotlight on a creation radiating an aesthetic and technical perfection that pays tribute to the multiple skills cultivated within the Grande Maison.