An awe-inspiring moon phase

A classic moon phase shows a one-day discrepancy every two and a half years. For a Jaeger-LeCoultre Perpetual Calendar, that difference amounts to just one day every 122 years. The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon Moon is from a completely different galaxy. When its moon phase is properly adjusted, it is designed to remain accurate for a full 3,887 years! From this sense of verging on eternity stems the depth and beauty of Fine Watchmaking.

For the Grande Maison, pushing boundaries and daring to dream bigger is backed by the conviction that the fundamental nature of a watch should not be impaired by horological culture nor by technical feats. The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon watch is thus intended to be worn with pleasure. Its 42-millimetre diameter and its 14.3-millimetre thickness ensure a definite sense of comfort, while hinting at the wealth of talent lavished on accommodating such a masterfully accurate mechanism within such a modest space.

Analogous axes: an invitation to share a passion for astronomy

Astronomy lovers are passionate about the earth’s axis. Each planet spins around an axis that is never perpendicular to the orbital plane. The angle formed by the earth’s axis is around 23°. This natural tilt explains the successive seasons and it is to this posture that we owe the alternating weather patterns that delight us or occasionally upset our plans. This penchant is shared by the additional rotation axis that gives the Sphérotourbillon its true magic. As well as performing a full turn around the axis of its titanium carriage, the Sphérotourbillon also spins around a second axis inclined at a 20° angle – a nod to the inclination of the earth that follows an imaginary line stretching to Ursae Minoris, the polestar.

Powerful aesthetic codes… and exceptions to the rule

One of the Duomètre collection’s most captivating aspects lies in the fact that technical performance does not override aesthetic appeal. While undeniably eloquent in horological terms, it is endowed with an elegance revealing considerable creative force.

Part of the strength of the design characterising the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon Moon watch, reworked to ensure even greater readability, lies in the symmetrically choreographed dance of the functions displayed on the finely grained dial. A shrewd observer will doubtless note that the moon phase appears at 3 o’clock, whereas Jaeger-LeCoultre generally places it at 6 o’clock.

A tribute to astronomy, this disc is made of lapis lazuli, a rock that looks as if it has landed there down from the sky chart. It features a dusting of stars echoing the moon, hands and hour markers, creating a two-tone ambiance also differing from the traditional identity codes of the Grande Maison.