As I explained it last year, Jaeger-Lecoultre opened its boutique in Rome during the first half of 2014 in the strategic area of the Piazza di Spagna. Actually, you can't expect more crowded location in Rome due to the attractiveness of the Square which is one of the most famous places in the world. I did a comprehensive report about the boutique when I was back from Rome in August 2014 but of course, it was a real pleasure for me to come back this year to meet again the staff under the leadership of Claudia, the manager of the point of sale.
You may think they are details but they are details that really count: the staff is exactly the same this year than last year. The stability of the team is always positive for the local clients who have the feeling to get long term relationships with the boutique. Local clients? Not only because if I take my example, even if I haven't bought a watch at the boutique for the time being, I know that I will visit it each and every year! A kind of tradition!
Some reasons explain why I never miss a visit when I'm in Rome.
The location obviously... Can you imagine a better environment for a boutique?
Of course, I could mention the nice coffee... and who can do be better coffees than Italian people?
I could also speak about the lay-out of the boutique itself. Even if it is not very large, it is well organized in order to display as many watches as possible. Clearly, the objective here is to take advantage of each square meter to give to the visitors a very broad view of the current collection.
But they are not the main reasons. I like to visit the boutique for its warm welcome and for the large selection of available watches. It is always a surprise for me but I couldn't imagine at the very begining that such gathering of watches could be found on this rather small surface.
Actually, I needed several minutes to make my choice and to choose the watches I wished to shoot to illustrate the report. You have to understand that I left in their displays a Master Minute Repeater or a Master Tourbillon! But I wished to have a close look on these ones.
Let's start with the Duometre à Quantieme Lunaire. But with the enamel dial.
I really think that the dial material works perfectly with the complication. It also gives the proof of the versality of the Duometre which can offer a very technical atmosphere or a more classic one like with this version.
The main interest of this watch, in my point of view, is its ability to combine two opposite complications: the very fast diablotine and the very slow moonphase display. The contrast brings a lot of energy on the dial like the encounter between fire and ice.
The Dual-Wing Caliber 381 features a superb lay-out which emphasizes the two brains architecture. I also appreciate a lot the feeling of depth.
The Duometre à Quantième Lunaire on the wrist. Its 40,5mm size is well balanced. I consider it as the minimum size for such watch due to the dial lay-out: the two subdials start to eat the peripheral scale. Despite this detail, I prefer this size to the 42mm one.
We stay with a watch which also offers a moonphase display. The Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique à Quantieme Perpetuel underlines the ability of the Manufacture to combine several complications while perserving the comfort on the wrist and an easy daily use.
The dial lay-out clearly separates the two main complications and despite the Tourbillon Cylindrique, the case height (13,1mm) remains reasonable.
I really like the details on the dial like the subtle grained texture and the full year display. Of course, the star of the show is the Tourbillon Cylindrique. For legibility reasons, Jaeger-Lecoultre used a partial second hand scale which obliged them to put a three-bladed second hand. It is a bit a pity because the blades hide a bit the view on the Tourbillon. Anyway, the visual rendering is still spectacular.
The automatic caliber 985 and its winding-mass bearing a medal-style decoration:
The watch on the wrist. The 42mm case is here again well balanced due to the context of this watch. The tourbillon has enough space to "breathe" and the calendar data are easy to read even if I find the combo moonphase & day of the week a bit confusing. Fortunately, the main data (the date) has its own subdial without any additional complication.
It was my first encounter with the watch below. It is a good example of the Jaeger-Lecoultre approach of classic pieces, here in the context of a Calendrier Complet. To be frank with you, this style of watches doesn't speak to me (I find them a bit boring) but nobody can deny the fact that it is very well done. Moreover, the Master Ultra-Thin Calendar reinforces the role of JLC in the "ultra-thin" watches segment. With a global thickness below 10mm, the result is excellent for a full calendar watch. But does it really deserve the "ultra-thin" name? I don't think so. Around 10mm, even for a complicated watch, the client doesn't feel to wear a very flat watch.
The use of a peripheral scale for the date display in an excellent idea in this context. It makes the full dial more legible and more importantly, it allows to fill the additional space created by the 39mm case. Even if the case is not that big, the calendar module is quite small and this scale is positive for the dial balance.
The applied indexes improve the perceived quality and nicely decorate the dial:
The movement uses a caliber 891 base:
The Master Ultra-Thin Calendar on the wrist. I would say that the watch didn't give me a lot of excitement. But it will fully meet the expectations of classic calendar watches lovers.
I had to shoot a Reverso... actually I shot two. Because a JLC boutique report without a Reverso is not a true report. And because this Grande Reverso Duoface fully takes advantage of the reversible case to offer a second timezone display.
I've always been a fan of the Duoface. Because in addition of the second timezone, it allows to change the style of the watch thanks to the two very different dials. Two watches in one... and a great value for money in my point of view.
I find the Grande Reverso a bit too large for my taste but it gets a new complication compared to the "classic" Duoface: the date display thanks to an arch-shaped window.
This window is well integrated on the dial but the presence of 5 dates is a bit confusing:
My fav side is the black one:
The Grande Reverso Duoface on the wrist. The 48,4mmx29,9mm size makes the watch really big. The positive point is the controlled thickness of 10,7mm.
The Grande Reverso 1931 Seconde Centrale is a pure beauty. Even if again, I tend to find it a bit too large (but the case is smaller than the Grande Reverso Duoface: 46,8mmx27,4mm), I'm totally under the charm of its dial.
Moreover, the central second hand nicely animates it.
The powered numerals and indexes are really gorgeous!
Honestly, I had a lot of trouble to give it back to the boutique! Of course, I would have preferred a handwind movement (the watch uses the automatic caliber 966A) but I can imagine that on a long run, this issue would be forgotten by the happy owner.
We previously spoke about the Master Ultra-Thin Calendar.
The Master Calendar with meteorite dial is a bit thicker (10,6mm) but we can hardly feel the difference... and what a dial!
The meteorite texture adds the spice the watch was lacking to become a real eye-catching piece:
The movement is in this context the 866:
I couldn't only shoot this watch inside the boutique. The daylights were required to understand the beauty and the subtlety of the dial...
On these pictures, you see how the dial catches the lights, how the meteorite changes its rendering. When you wear the watch, you are surprised by the way the dial continuously changes.
Maybe my fav SIHH 2015 Jaeger-Lecoultre watch... what is almost a miracle because, again, I'm not a fan of Calendar watches!
We stay in the sky with the Rendez-Vous Celestial. This is a really gorgeous ladies' watch... its beauty is enhanced by the lapis-lazuli sky disk.
And of course, I don't forget the mysterious star hand!
In the specific context of this watch, I would have preferred a solid caseback. The finishings of the caliber 809/1 are a bit austere compared to the dial side!
The Rendez-Vous Celestial on a lady's wrist. Its 37,5mm diameter combined with the large figures and the main blue colour give a strong presence on the wrist while keeping its poetic style.
I would like to finish the report with this Master Ultra Thin Moon with slate dial.
The combo between the dial and the PG details is really gorgeous:
The watch is powered by the caliber 925:
I was seduced by this 39mm watch which offers a classic style with a warm design. I was happy to see the use of a slate dial which is, for me, more original and more "sustainable" than a chocolate one. This Master Ultra Thin Moon is a bright and very seducing watch thanks to its contrasts.
I would like to thank a lot the staff of the boutique for the warm welcome and obviously, if you are in the Eternal City, don't forget to visit it! It is located a few steps from the famous Barcaccia fountain! Claudia and her team will have a lot of pleasure to show you the latest JLC watches which are available in Rome.
Fx
This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-08-14 03:07:16 
