WristWatch Magazine | Page 98

EVOLUTION A threaded back frames a large sapphire window allowing a full appreciation of the superb new Calibre 770/772. Jaeger’s Gyrolab balance was originally tested in 2007. Blue lacquer oceans contrast the applied gold land masses in the top-shelf version of the new True Second UTC. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Calibre 770 remains a svelte 6.57 tall even with the additional gear train of the True Second function. A total of 270 individual components come together in a 36 jewel movement that has a 40 hour power reserve. Geneva Waves grace bridges held in place with counter-sunk and blued screws under a solid 18kt gold winding rotor, now machined from a single block of gold. (Paul Gerber, Habring, DeWitt, Gronefeld, Arnold & Son, on, Jaquet nds to good Droz) that have returned the mechanical jumping seconds hes were also graces. Up until now these rare dead-beat second wa tches extraordinarily expensive, making what Jaeger has donee all that much more impressive. Not only have they fitted their own extra gear train for the True Second in the same height case as the previous Geophysic – they even made it less expensive than its arguably more mundane predecessor with a retail price of $9,050 (down from $9,800) in stainless steel ($17,500 in 18-karat pink gold). In addition to the time/date version, JLC has also produced a world time version dubbed the UTC. Caliber 772 powers the new Geophysic and shows just how easily the 770 can morph into 96 WRISTWATCH | 2016 another h ffunctionall profile. f l From the h ffront the h world ld time displays d l a progressively colored lacquer dial as viewed from the North Pole with dual inner bezels displaying the time around the world. It makes sense that JLC decided to launch these outside the bright lights and horological overdose that is Geneva in January. These tectonic changes at Jaeger-LeCoultre are subtle and may take a bit more time for the press to digest, appreciate and promote. While the new caliber 770/772 may not have the initial impact of a multi-axis tourbillon or a new Grand Complication, this new engine will thrive in almost any chassis and will likely become a new calling card for the brand. An analogous moment in wristwatches might be the launch of