Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme LAB 2

Jaeger-LeCoultre released a new titanium and blue version of its most impressive sport watch – Master Compressor Extreme LAB 2(Ref. Q203T541). It is a radically different watch in JLC’s collection. The watch is “mechanically complicated, conceptually innovative, and stylistically interesting”. The Extreme LAB 2 is JLC’s successor to the revolutionary Extreme Lab, a technological masterpiece in 2007. A mechanical watch requiring absolutely no lubrication ofver its lifetime, the original Extreme LAB showcased what the JLC manufacture is capable of. Reflecting the innovation within, JLC’s two Extreme LAB watches also feature high-tech aesthetics with case and dial designs unlike any others within their product portfolio.

Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Extreme LAB 2 as a tribute to a historical watch from its past, the Chronomètre Geophysic. Launched in 1958, the same year NASA was formed, the Geophysic was introduced during an era in which the planet’s limits were being explored like never before. As a certified chronometer, it was a robust tool watch intended for scientists’ use in extreme environments while conducting geophysical experiments around the world. The 46.8 mm case of Extreme LAB 2 was made of a special titanium and vanadium alloy exclusive to JLC – TiVan15. The outer case is 15% more scratch resistant than cases crafted from traditional titanium. A pusher integrated within the ceramic crown allows the user to select one of three positions: winding (labeled as N), GMT function, and time setting. A transparent sapphire crystal dial allows a full view of the in-house JLC caliber 781. There is also a “hidden” complication which is the stop seconds feature (hacking seconds) designed to make it easy to set the time precisely. Pulling out the crown of the movement resets the seconds indicator disc but allows the minute hand to continue moving. The idea is to allow you to set the time as precisely as you can without having to wait.