Brand
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Automatic GMT 46mm In
A glance at Jaeger-LeCoultre's recent releases reveals an intense focus on the brand's history, on the traditional elements that define it in most people's eyes (ahem, the Reverso). But there was a time in the not-so-distant past that Jaeger-LeCoultre released bold, provocative sport watches in its Master Compressor collection. While it was perhaps a symptom of that era of watchmaking, in which 44mm+ sport watches ruled the roost, it's almost forgotten that Jaeger-LeCoultre produced some genuinely interesting and extremely compelling watches during this period. One such watch is the Master Compressor Diving Automatic GMT, a 46mm hybrid sport watch cased in lightweight titanium.
While unmistakably aggressive in appearance, the Master Compressor Diving Automatic GMT watch features a number of characteristic Jaeger-LeCoultre elements. The high-contrast, raised white numerals at six and 12 o'clock in a "stencil" font are actually a reference to the Polaris dive watches the company produced in the late 1960s. The seconds track is placed on a sloped flange on the periphery of the dial and is interrupted by five-minute markers in light blue. And the crown was specially designed for the Master Compressor series in the early 2000s. It doesn't screw out like a normal dive-watch crown. Instead, you turn it one-half rotation until a blue marker is visible to unlock. At this point, you can pull out the crown to hack the seconds, set the time, or manually wind the watch. Jaeger-LeCoultre accomplished this via an additional seal that's compressed when the crown is locked. When the crown is unlocked, the seal decompresses and allows you to adjust the time. The benefit of this solution is that it removes the typical way a watch's wearer engages with the crown's threading, which is one of the most fragile elements a watch owner will engage with on a daily basis. The winglet-system also functions as (moveable) crown guards and allows the crown to be easily graspable in case you're wearing gloves or wet.
There's a color-matched date window at three o'clock, a 24-hour second time-zone display at nine o'clock, and at six o'clock in a rectilinear aperture is a spinning half white-blue display that indicates the watch is running underwater, in place of a traditional running seconds hand. This watch also features a local jumping hour hand in the crown's second position, which makes it a "true" GMT.
Inside the Master Compressor Diving Automatic GMT is Jaeger-LeCoultre's automatic caliber 975D, which offers 48 hours of running autonomy. It has undergone the brand's impressive in-house "1,000 Hours Control" quality standard, in which the cased watch is tested for accuracy, shock resistance, temperature variation, and water resistance over a 40-day period. And to top it off, the watch is water resistant up to 1,000 meters.
This particular Master Compressor is in overall clean and excellent pre-owned condition. The case has been professionally refinished. There are some scratches on the bezel at six o'clock. The dial and case are crisp and excellent. The caseback is marked with reference number "159.T.05" and serial number "2468XXX." A Jaeger-LeCoultre black alligator strap and tang buckle are currently fitted to the watch. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended.
The dial, case, crown, movement, strap, and buckle are all signed by Jaeger-LeCoultre. This watch is sold with only the watch – no box, papers, or manuals.
*NOTE: Please be aware that this watch comes with an alligator leather strap as an accessory. If the watch is shipped to any international destination, we will not be able to include the alligator strap due to laws regarding the sale and shipment of exotic leather goods. In this case we will include a complimentary fashiontourbillon.com strap.
The watchmaker's watchmaker. La Grande Maison. JLC. There's only one Jaeger-LeCoultre, and since Antoine LeCoutre founded his Vallée de Joux workshop in 1833, the company has remained almost peerless when it comes to horological innovation. Since 1833, more than 1,242 calibers have been developed by the brand, receiving over 400 patents in the process. Starting in 1903, a watchmaker named Edmond Jaeger teamed up with the LeCoultre company, resulting in the foundation of today's Jaeger-LeCoultre. Now part of the Richemont Group, some of the brand's most well-known watches include the Reverso, the Polaris, the Memovox, the Atmos clock, and many, many more timepieces.
