Jaeger-LeCoultre

I had many questions in mind: When it was first unveiled as a prototype in 2009, if my memory serves me well, I didn't like it.

This bezel and its wording disturbed me a lot, as well as its name: Tribute to Geophysic. 

I found the dial a bit too busy for my taste, while, on a technical side, I liked the digital instantaneous Chronograph, its silicon hairspring and escapement, the rotor, borrowed to the Extrem Lab One, and its articulated strap. 

The silicon escapement borrowed to the Extreme Lab One:

Time has passed, and this watch received some technical and aesthetical improvements, to be offered, in 2012, if I remember well, as a definitive product. 

Exit the wording on the bezel, but also the silicon parts, as well, since 2013 the blackened movement and special rotor. 2012:





2013:

 



When I had the opportunity to try it again, in 2013, I changed my mind.

I was less impressed by the technical side, since Jaeger-Lecoultre gave up with the silicon escapement and hairspring, and the rotor. 

But I found the watch cooler than before, or, to better say it, I was more receptive to its coolness. Hence my wish to try it, which allowed me to have a definitive position on that watch. 

A definitive position which can be summed in one question, which will require several answers: Is the Extreme Lab 2 an extreme watch, really? 

1/Is the Extreme Lab II is extremely technical?  

Technical, it is. The number of parts of this chronograph movement gives you a first idea of its technicality: 569. When a traditional automatic chronograph movement, such as the Master Compressor Chronograph and its Cal 751 is made of 277 parts, or the Cal 757 of the Master Compressor Chronograph Ceramic, with its GMT function, with its 300 parts

Figures apart, you feel that the construction of this movement is complex, when you look at it. 

All the bridges have an angular shape, which is quite unusual, as well as the shape of the rotor, a platinum irridium segment held by three arrow shaped arms, made in german silver receiving a ruthenium treatment.

The chronograph function has a column wheel- which is quite common for a modern movement- but with a less usually seen vertical clutch. 

The Cal 780 provides an original combination of complications, expression of its high technicality. 

Indeed, the Extreme Lab II is a:

- Digital minutes and instantaneous Chronograph, whose window is located at 12 o' clock AND a conventional 24 hours register.

- GMT, hidden below the hour hand.

- Date, located at 3 o' clock.

- Radial power reserve, whose indicator is located between 9 and 3 o' clock. The watch has a 60 hours autonomy.

 


You understood it perfectly, the originality is to offer such a series of complications, and in the way two of them are displayed: The power reserve and the digital instantaneous minutes chronograph.

But that's not all... The case is made of two parts, a kind of sandwich structure.

For it, Jaeger Lecoultre opted for an alloy of titanium and vanadium, which is said to be 15% harder than titanium only, which is already harder and much lighter than steel.

The sculptural shape of the case sides expresses this technicality.

You will fall on other details, while you are scrutinizing the flanks of the case:

- At 3 o clock, a curious pusher, coaxially located in the crown. Here again, JLC opted for originality: 

This pusher is used as a gearbox. Push once on it, and you will select the setting of the time, push another time for the GMT, and a third time to choose the neutral position.

You set the time and the GMT by turning and not pulling the crown!

Funny, original and useful, as the weak point- in terms of water resistance- of any watch is between the crown and the case. Each time you pull and push the crown, you " attack " the seal.

- At both sides of the crown, two " guards " which protect both the crown and the chronograph pushers, like a shield. The pushers and crown side:

- At 9 o' clock, a lever. Slide it down, and the second hand will stop. Slide it up, it will run. Practical and original, once again, when you want to monitor the accuracy of your watch with an atomic clock, a computer, a radio or whatever you want.

Let's keep in mind that, since you cannot pull the crown, which is the traditional way to hack the second hand, the stop second would not have been possible without this technical solution.

And it would not be acceptable to give up with the stop second on such a practical and technical watch. 

While we are at the case sides of this watch, let's precise that the the lever and the pushers are covered with rubber, when the crown is made in black zirconium, to match with the bezel.

Are you thinking you are done? Have a look at the strap, then...

Take it in your hands, between the lugs, and manipulate it... You will hear a " tic, tic, tic "...

Yes, the base of the strap is articulated, to provide a good ergonomy once the watch on your wrist.

Technical... Till the 22 mm buckle: Having two pins is not usual, and to say all, I didn't get its interest, but there is something more important. You can indeed push or pull the bar bearing the two pins to adjust the length, when your wrist size is " in between " two strap holes. And many of us experimented AND complained about that.

So, yes, the Extreme Lab II is extremely technical. I would even say complex.

One regret, though. The definitive Extreme Lab II lost two important- at least for me- features which existed in the Ti Van prototype: The silicon hairspring and escapement. And, to a lesser extent, the rotor borrowed to the Extreme Lab One, and see in the Amvox III. 

I asked for an official explanation about the reasons which led JLC to give up the silicon escapement:

“During the development process of the Master Compressor Extreme LAB2, we have not found the way to obtain a perfect accuracy of the watch while using these antimagnetic components. In our leader position in accuracy, we do not want to launch a product like the Master Compressor Extreme LAB2 without having a perfect accuracy in line with our severe criterias. This is the reason why we have decided to launch the Master Compressor Extreme LAB2 without the antimagnetic components. The price however does not change since this lack of antimagnetic components does not impact the cost of the watch.”

I asked the same question, just to check, some months ago, and I had the same answer.  

Now, my regret lies in the fact that I would have preferred to go from an extremely technical watch to a superlatively technical one, with the anti magnetic virtues of the prototype and its special escapement / hairspring. If you followed this watch from its birth, you will remember that the anti magnetic movement received a different code number ( once again, only for the Ti Van version, as the rose gold didn't enjoy it ), the Cal 781. 

2/ Is the Extreme Lab II extremely accurate?

I had two questions in mind, when I received the Extreme Lab II for the test. How accurate it is, without the chronograph running, and when the chronograph runs.

Better said, does the chronograph function affects the reliability and the accuracy of the watch?

I have to precise that:

- I checked the accuracy under high, very high temperatures, mainly between 20° C to 42° C.

- I submitted the watch to violent differences of temperatures when swimming with it.

 


- During these 31 days of test, it was three quarter of the time on my wrist, then put on a table, in different positions, or in a more dangerous position:

- I let the Chronograph run for 3 days, and I checked every day if there was a difference in the accuracy of the watch.

The results are quite impressive: In 31 days, the watch ran 90 seconds too fast, which is a bit less than 3 seconds per day, way better than the COSC specifications.

When the chronograph was continuously running, there was no impact at all on the accuracy. 3 seconds per day. 

I've been confirmed by Jaeger Lecoultre that the chronograph could continuously run without damaging the chronograph parts, by the way.

So, yes, I can say that the Extreme Lab II is an extremely accurate watch. 

3/ Is the Extreme Lab II extremely cool?

Let's say it straight, the Extreme Lab II is not and will certainly not be everybody's taste. Its personality and design / concept are too strong for that.

Its size could be considered as a problem, for some of us, but I will elaborate that point in the Part 4 of this report.

Nonetheless, and despite its size, character, design, this Extreme Lab II can be seen as a very cool watch, like a Richard Mille or an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off Shore.

Personally, the coolness of this watch came just after its originality.

I first had to deal with the technical complexity of the watch. It takes a bit of time to understand how it works, to appreciate its technicality.

To be honest, it didn't take me a long time to understand it. Maybe 2 hours?

The coolness lies in its originality, first.

You love to play with the selector located in the crown, to set the GMT and the Time, then to re set the time after using the lever at 9 o' clock to stop the second hand.

You will adore the digital chronograph, seeing the minutes jumping each time the big blue second hand arrives at 60.

You will like the way the power reserve is displayed. When you wind the watch- one turn of the crown, one hour- you will see the blue zone progressively disappear to let place to white, which is the color code to inform you that the power reserve is full. Magic.

And I am not a power reserve fan, usually.

The fully wind all white power reserve:

Ten hours till the end of the power reserve. Blue is almost omnipresent.

I adore this combination of complications, I must say. I didn't have the opportunity to use the GMT function, but I like the idea to be able to use it, when traveling overseas.

The coherence of that watch, from the case to the buckle, is, at least for me, impressive, too.

This is not a toy, this is a serious watch, young, fresh, very qualitative.

No real weak points, here, while I often complain about the quality of the strap, or the poor buckle we have to live with.

The sculptural case sang strong to me, the care of the details ( pushers, levers, decoration of the polished and two step bezel ), the marriage of materials such as titanium vanadium, rubber, zirconium, which I found pretty inspiring and inspired.

And one part of the watch I didn't mention, yet, but which is very important, the dial. You have a feeling of lightness, transparency, depth which is just captivating.

You see these numbers? 

Their shape is one of the details which are part of the Compressor DNA. 

Another nice detail is the way the bridges are shaped. Like on the backside of the movement, the dial side has angular, arrow shaped bridges which are put in a symmetrical and nicely balanced way.

The skeleton trapeze hands are also made with care, as they are polished on their edges, and " grained " at their surface.

In the night, sadly I don't know how to take good lume shots, the dial pops out, in a mint blue hue. Very cool.

The only thing I would reproach to the dial is the too conventional subdial of the chronograph hours.

I would have preferred a sapphire, transparent counter, to go deeper in the design of the dial, to not compromise it, even if some will say that this choice was dictated by the legiblity of the function.

The Extreme Lab II was as its place, wherever I was, at the Court, pleading, or at the beach, for elegant or casual moments, even if it is, naturally more in its element in a casual life.

Extremely cool, then. 

4/ Is the Extreme Lab II extremely comfortable?  

 It is a big watch, with some generous dimensions. Indeed, its case is 46, 8 mm and 16, 5 mm high. 

We are very close to some Panerais or Richard Mille, these figures suggest bigger dimensions than Audemars Piguet Royal Oak off Shores...

That's the truth... On the paper, or on your computer screen.

In the real life, this is a totally different story. Big, it is. Thick, too. But too big and too thick? Not so sure.

Thanks to its bent lugs, those don't overcome my normally ( 17 cm ) sized wrist.

I asked my wife to try it on her 15, 5 cm wrist. She normally wears a Jaeger Lecoultre Gran Sport Dame, and a Rolex Explorer 1016, both being perfect for her.

The surprise was big to notice that the Extreme Lab II was not unwearable for her, either!

The adjustable strap and buckle contribute to the comfort of the watch, which sticks to your wrist at the point to be almost unnoticed.

The weight of the watch is something surprising. 

Given its huge dimensions, you should expect something heavier. 

Given the material used for the case, you could expect something lighter.Here, you are in between.

Comfortable, it is, extremely comfortable, I wouldn't go so far.

One thing has to be mentionned. During this 31 days, I went to the water ( lake, swimming pool and sea ) let's say a good ten days. Due to the very hot days we had in Paris or in Italy, I sweat a lot.

I anticipated this, and asked Jaeger Lecoultre to send me the watch with the rubber strap. After all, the watch is water resistant to 100 meters, so it is possible to go into the water with it.

I received it with the Alligator strap... I feared a lot to give the watch back with a totally ruined strap.

At my great surprise, its condition after the test is so good that it is hard to believe that I did all this with it!

5/ Is the Extreme Lab II extremely tempting?

You know my tastes in watches quite well. I appreciate vintage watches a lot, but also modern watches, when they bring something new in the horological landscape.

Something new or original such as the Amvox II, the Duometres, the Master Minute Repeater, the Gyro Tourbillon one, two or three, this Extreme Lab II without forgetting, of course, the Extreme Lab One!

For what it is, the Extreme Lab II is extremely tempting.

Think about that: For this level of price, what other watch do you have, which plays the same card than the Extreme Lab II? Yes, you can check among the Audemars Piguet or Richard Mille offers, for this level of technicality and price, the Extreme Lab II is alone.

To be honest, for the same price, I would rather go for the charm, the poetry and the soul of a Duometre, A Quantième Lunaire Enamel, A Chronographe, or Unique Travel Time.

BUT, if I had enough money to go for the Duometre and the Extreme Lab II, I would not hesitate a minute and would do both of them, as they are so different and so complementary at the same time.

So, yes, at the end of this test, I am extremely seduced by the Extreme Lab II, at the point that it was painful to give it back to Jaeger Lecoultre after all these good moments spent with it.

Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,

Best.

Nicolas