Often, watchmaking is viewed as an old-school art, and it is the traditions and history that are emphasized exclusively. But truthfully, watches made with modern advancements in movement technology are just as important for the longevity of the industry. JLC is helping to push that envelope.
Yeah, it's a big watch. But it's not big to be flashy. This thing is chock-full of very unique complications. I love seeing something like this introduced, and JLC is really the company to be able to do it. And to me, this is what I love about a so-called "in-house movement". It's the innovation, the expertise, the pure demonstration of ability that I respect in a watchmaking brand, and an in-house movement is only valuable to me if it is one of quality and in-house design.
I think it's good for the watch industry when brands continue to do serious innovation. Re-releases and tributes are great, but this is the stuff that is at the heart of what we admire of horology. Looking forward and creating, rather than focusing only on successes of the past (though ironically, this watch line is introduced as an homage to the concept of the Geophysic, an old JLC watch).
Here's a rundown of the complications, both related to movement and case/strap:
- Ceramic crown with integrated pushbutton to select three functions via column wheel: 1) winding; 2) setting of date and second time zone; 3) setting the time
- Radial power reserve
- Chronograph with digital minute counter
- GMT w/ 24-hr indicator
- Sliding switch to hack seconds
- Quick-release strap mechanism
- Micro-adjustment built into buckle for fine adjustments
- Case components: 143
- Movement components: 569
On top of all this, JLC offers it to their customers at a (very much relatively) reasonable price. It's likely that a similarly complicated/innovative watch from Richard Mille would likely cost well over half a million. One watch-blogger made the following analogy of the EL2:
I absolutely love everything about this. The classics are great, but the quirky, cutting-edge, modern stuff adds the intellectual appeal to the emotional appeal that watches usually draw. I'm happy to be able to give this one a try - I've been eyeballing it since it's announcement.http://blog.thewatchenthusiast.com/archives/1112 wrote:Did you know that every time Bugatti sells a “Veyron” it costs the Volkswagen group 900,000 € (roughly 1,200,000$)? Yes, you pay 1,800,000€ for a Veyron and Volkswagen pays 900,000€ for you to have it. The company explains that this cost is an investment in technology for many new patents and developments that occur when making/developing the Bugatti Veyron. In the end much of what is learned and discovered with each Veyron inevitably trickles down to lower end models inside the group. If you think that could not apply to watches… Well, say hello to the watch equivalent of the Bugatti Veyron; Jaeger LeCoultre’s “Extreme LAB 2″!
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that just like the Bugatti, everytime Jaeger LeCoultre sells an Extreme LAB 2 it cost them money. Note that all of these are personal opinions and conjectures. Until I get my hands on somebody at the manufactory (probably very soon) and squeeze them “real tight” I will never know for a fact.
A few pics. None are great for showcasing the level of refinement in such a modern watch, but I'll continue to try to capture better shots. Thanks for letting me share, buds.