Jaeger LeCoultre Introduces New Duometre Line at Watches and Wonders 2024
Jaeger-LeCoultre has managed to maintain a relatively low profile while being one of the oldest, most respected Swiss watch houses there is. For most brands, a triaxial tourbillon perpetual calendar with a big date and two mainsprings would be their most complicated watch ever–but for Jaeger-LeCoultre, it’s just another year. The JLC 2024 releases include three impressive new Duometre models, as well as a slight freshening of their attractive Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar lineup. Here’s a quick overview of all the JLC 2024 models unveiled at Watches and Wonders.
Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar ref. Q114
Jaeger-LeCoultre is no stranger to perpetual calendars, and they’ve made a slight upgrade to their Calibre 868 movement for 2024. It now has 70 hours of power reserve instead of 38. This powers a new generation of Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar, and the power reserve upgrade seems to be the biggest change aside from different material/dial options. The watch maintains its 39mm diameter and 9.2mm thickness. It’s hard to blame JLC for mostly leaving the design alone, although they did make some tiny tweaks to improve legibility like slightly longer hands and more visible subdial markings. It’s aesthetically very well-balanced.
The steel JLC 2024 Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar reference, Q114842J, sports a silver sunray dial. Its MSRP is $28,500, the same as the previous black-dial Q1308470. Meanwhile, an eggshell dial comes on the more expensive pink gold model. The eggshell version is available with a diamond bezel as well.
In addition to its perpetual calendar function, including a full year display and moonphase, the MUT Perpetual Calendar features a little windshield-like opening on the dial. That’s the “security zone indicator” a.k.a. “danger zone indicator” and if that’s red, that means it’s too close to midnight to mess with setting the watch right now. You wouldn’t want to damage a lovely watch like this!
JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar Specs
| Model | Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar |
| Reference | Q114842J (Stainless steel, silver dial) Q1142510 (Pink gold, eggshell dial) Q1142501 (Pink gold, eggshell dial w/diamonds) |
| Case Material | Pink gold or stainless steel |
| Case Diameter | 39mm |
| Case Thickness | 9.2mm |
| Water Resistance | 50m |
| Movement | Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868 (Automatic, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, moonphase, perpetual calendar with full year display and “danger zone” indicator |
| Strap | Alligator strap with deployant clasp |
| Lug Width | 21mm |
| MSRP (Apr. 2024) | $28,500 (Steel) $40,700 (Pink gold) $47,900 (Pink gold with diamond bezel) |
A Note on the JLC Duometre
In 2007, Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the Duometre line, known for its twin-barrel configuration (or “Dual-Wing” as the brand calls it). The watch has two completely separate mainspring barrels–one for the primary timekeeping and one just for the auxiliary functions. Complications can affect amplitude and precision, so separating the power supplies helps ensure consistent power delivery and thus more consistent timekeeping. Other watch brands making multi-barrel movements include Grand Seiko, MB&F and Patek Philippe. You can also find Soviet twin-mainspring watches for about $40 if you type “Slava 2414” into ebay, but that’s a story for another day. Let’s get into the three Duometre models in the JLC 2024 Watches and Wonders lineup.
Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual
Franck Muller was the first brand to bring a triaxial tourbillon to market, and a few other brands have since entered that ultra-niche market. JLC now joins the triple-axis tourbillon club with the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual. It’s an interesting combination of new and old aesthetics, very similar to earlier two-axis Sphérotourbillon models. The hands, hours markers, case, and overall design language are ultra-conservative. And yet, there’s a whole futuristic-looking skeletonized section on the left side of the dial revealing the stunning “Heliotourbillon” for all to see. Pretty bonkers. JLC says the triaxial motion of the Heliotourbillon resembles a spinning top.
The Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual is also a perpetual calendar, as the name suggests, and it includes a full four-digit year display. The Calibre 388 movement used here in ref. Q6202420 doesn’t have a danger zone indicator like the aforementioned Master Ultra Thin does, though. That’s because the calendar is designed to only advance forwards, so there’s no risk of accidentally damaging/desynchronizing it when going backwards. The functions simply don’t go backwards (except for the time–setting the time backwards is ok).
Considering the amount of complications in the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual (it has a big date, a moonphase, and two power reserve indicators as well), its 14.7mm thickness is downright reasonable. The Duometre line is historically either 40.5mm or 42mm wide; this is the biggest one yet at 44mm. Q6202420 is a limited edition of 20 pieces, but the $438,000 price tag should do a good job of limiting sales on its own.
JLC Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual Specs
| Model | Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual |
| Reference | Q6202420 |
| Case Material | 18k pink gold |
| Case Diameter | 44mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.7mm |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Movement | Calibre 388 (Manual-wind, 8 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours (each barrel) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, big date, moonphase, power reserve indicator for each of the two mainsprings, perpetual calendar with full year display, triaxial tourbillon |
| Strap | Brown alligator strap |
| Limited Edition | 20 pieces |
| MSRP (Apr. 2024) | $438,000 |
Duometre Chronograph Moon
The original Duometre released in 2007 was a chronograph, and for 2024 JLC has released the first-ever Duometre Chronograph Moon model. Aside from adding a moonphase indicator in one subdial and a day-night indicator in another, it essentially retains the same unusual dial layout as the original, along with its monopusher chronograph functionality. The subdial proportions have been slightly improved, though. And I think the main reason that the new Duometre Chronograph Moon looks more elegant than earlier Duometres is its “glass box crystal.” The sapphire crystal is domed to pleasantly match the contours of the case, which has been slightly enlarged to 42.5mm, and it causes some distortion around the edge of the dial (which some people find cool).
Twin power reserve indicators–one for the chronograph’s mainspring and one for the main one–are cleverly placed above two symmetrically skeletonized windows in the dial. Like the original Duometre Chronograph, the center subdial spins around the dial once per second when the chronograph is activated, allowing time to be measured to 1/6th of a second. The Duometre Chronograph Moon with a pink gold case (ref. Q622252J) has a list price of $70,000, while the platinum option (ref. Q622656J ) is listed for $86,000.
JLC 2024 Duometre Chronograph Moon Specs
| Model | Duometre Chronograph Moon |
| Reference | Q622252J (Pink gold) Q622656J (Platinum) |
| Case Material | Pink gold or platinum |
| Case Diameter | 42.5mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.2mm |
| Water Resistance | 50m |
| Movement | Calibre 391 (Manual-wind, 6 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours (each barrel) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, monopusher chronograph, moonphase, day-night indicator, dual power reserve indicators |
| Strap | Alligator strap |
| MSRP (Apr. 2024) | $70,000 (Pink gold) $86,000 (Platinum) |
Duometre Quantième Lunaire
Historically, the Duometre was only available in precious metals. But the 2024 Jaeger-LeCoultre lineup includes a steel Duometre for the first time: a moonphase with an appealing “blue opaline” dial. It has the same basic generational updates as the Duometre Chronograph Moon: 42.5mm case size, slightly improved subdial proportions, and a glass box crystal.
The new 42.5mm Duometre case looks very aesthetically clean, but in reality it’s quite complicated. JLC calls the case “a complex structure of 34 separate parts,” noting that “the lugs are screwed rather than integrated, to enable multiple finishing techniques.” Lots of brands combine brushed and polished finishes, but the new generation of Duometres takes it a step further by including some micro-blasted surfaces as well.
Note that on chronograph versions of the Duometre, the 1/6th-of-a-second subdial in the middle is for the chronograph function. But interestingly, on the Duometre Quantième Lunaire that hand is just always rockin’, making a full rotation every second until it runs out of power or you pull the crown out. The dual power reserve displays should help remind you to wind the watch, though. And although it’s a steel watch, its $44,300 price tag isn’t exactly “attainable” for most. Decent discounts can often be had on JLC watches though, especially on the secondhand market.
JLC 2024 Duometre Quantième Lunaire Specs
| Model | Duometre Quantième Lunaire |
| Reference | Q604848J |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Case Diameter | 42.5mm |
| Case Thickness | 13.05mm |
| Water Resistance | 50m |
| Movement | Calibre 381 (Manual-wind, 6 beats per second) |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours (each barrel) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, |
| Strap | Alligator strap |
| MSRP (Apr. 2024) | $44,300 |
JLC 2024 Releases: In Conclusion
Aside from the not-so-subtle 44mm Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual, the 2024 Jaeger-LeCoultre 2024 Watches and Wonders releases seem like pretty mild updates at a glance. But the tweaks were definitely tasteful and well-done. Putting a glass box crystal on the Duometre line makes a world of difference, and the micro-blasted case accents are cool too.
