"In periods of economic crises, you have to double your efforts, create, innovate...” says Jérôme Lambert, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre. This belief has certainly been supported by the strength of the Jaeger-LeCoultre ‘manufacture’, which employs 900 people of which 200 are engineers and watch construction experts. So, it is with great pride that the company from the Vallée de Joux presents its latest timekeeper, the Master Compressor Dualmatic, equipped with an entirely new automatic movement, the Calibre 927.

Compression keys
Created in a region where temperature extremes are not uncommon (in winter, the mercury can drop to -28° C and in summer, it can rise to +40° C), the Master Compressor Dualmatic and its movement are both ‘robust’ and ‘reliable’. This model wonderfully completes the Master Compressor line, a new collection of ultra sporty timepieces, easily recognizable by their thick cases and protruding crowns. The patented crown is in fact a compression key crown that allows for complete water-resistance. More reliable and easier to operate than a standard crown, it has a security lock when twisted half a turn that compresses one of the four seals on the interior, while preventing any unintentional operations. The robust and reliable compression key, which lends character to this new line, has been doubled in the recent Master Compressor Dualmatic, which is quite normal considering there are two time zones.

Key words: robustness and reliability
This same robustness and reliability are also key qualities of the all-new Calibre 972 that equips the new watch. The result of seven years of development and testing, the new calibre is an entirely revisited automatic movement, incorporating many innovations and improvements. It integrates a dual time zone (one of the two hour hands remains hidden under the other when not needed), a 24-hour reference time indicator (so that the traveller knows whether it is day or night at home, as well as for ease in changing the date), and an internal rotating bezel.
Endurance, robustness, reliability and simplicity: everything has been conceived with these specifications in mind. In this way, the automatic winding is no longer bi-directional. Tests with wearers have shown that uni-directional winding gives not only better performance but also a better power reserve, which in this case is 50 hours.
The calibre 972 is equipped with a new escapement. The variable inertia and grand inertia balance (4 Hertz or 28,000 vibrations per hour) is maintained by a balance cock that is screwed to the plate in two places. The precision setting is performed with the help of four inertia-blocks positioned on the outside of the balance-felloe. These render the traditional racket superfluous. Both ends of the spiral are laser soldered to the piston and the collet. Two retaining catches prevent any distortion of the balance spring when the watch is subjected to violent shocks. The rotor is mounted on ceramic ball bearings that slide on a stainless steel rail, providing a system that requires no lubrication. The movement is positioned over several bars and half-bars in order to facilitate access to the various organs during after-sales maintenance and service.
All this in the large-size movement (230 component parts in a height of 6.14 mm) was designed as a function of ease of utilization and of robustness. Placed in a case measuring 41.5 mm in diameter, available in steel, pink or white gold, it comes with either a brilliant black, anthracite or grey dial, according to the model, and luminescent markers.

Gradual rise in power
For a long time, people said that Jaeger-LeCoultre was a mono-product company because the famous Reverso seemed to eclipse the round Master series. However, it seems certain, in light of announced results, that the success of the new and very sporty series of the Master Compressor has contributed to a better balance among the large family of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches. Of course, the Reverso is still responsible for more than 60% of sales, but the Compressor line represents more than half of the sales of the brand’s round timepieces.
The gradual rise in power of the Master line has been helped, as Jérôme Lambert admitted, by the company’s integration of 80% of its distribution. This mastery over its distribution network of independent watch and jewellery stores (Jaeger-LeCoultre only owns a handful of its own boutiques) has given the brand more opportunity to promote its Master line. There are also other advantages of this integration. It allows the brand to have direct communication with its retailers, giving a better understanding of the expectations of the marketplace and a greater reactivity to it, as well as a better platform for launching new products. In fact, Jaeger-LeCoultre has already announced that it has five new items to be presented at the SIHH. Mark the calendar...