The Duometre range of watches is well known for a few unique tricks it has up its sleeve.The first being technology. Jaeger-LeCoultre is an undeniably innovative company, they create pieces such as the Master Compressor Extreme Lab II which I looked at as well as other successful ranges such as the Atmos desk clocks which never need to be wound because they run off minute changes in air pressure.

The Duometre movements are probably most known for making use of two barrels to store energy, one for the time and one for the extra complications. This new piece is no different in that respect. The watch is different to most as it makes use of a unique creation made by Jaeger-LeCoultre called the Sphérotourbillon. This is essentially half way between the standard tourbillon we all know and the Gyrotourbillon, a type of 3 axis tourbillon. The Sphérotourbillon doesn’t complete a full rotation like a 3 axis would, instead it moves around an axis which has been offset by 20 degrees.

Opposite the Sphérotourbillon cut-out on the dial is the time indication zone with lovely golden Feuille hands, inside the display is the moonphase indicator, the main difference between this watch and the previous generation. The golden power reserve indicator below this shows the amount of spring power left in the barrel that powers the moonphase in this watch. Next to it is the sub seconds indicator which can be set back to zero via a rectangular button located on the case at 2 O’clock when the time is being changed to make this watch as accurate as possible. In perfect symmetry with these two indicators is GMT and power reserve indicator for the time, again, this indicator is measuring an individual barrel. Like the Breguet, the calibre 389 movement in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Sphérotourbillon watch is made and decorated in-house, this one has been made of German silver like A.Lange & Söhne watches, meaning that it’ll gain a lovely patina over time which should, in theory, push the resale price up. The watch is offered in platinum in this particular configuration which is the new 2015 model, however, older models which don’t have the moonphase can also be found in gold if that’s your thing. The watch is 42mm in diameter, 2mm smaller than the Breguet.

It goes without saying that a tourbillon watch will demand a high price, and the buyer of such a piece demands the highest possible quality while retaining beautiful and elegant looks. It’s also worth mentioning that both of these watches gain extra kudos for their movements as they are in-house and not made by a company like Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi. There’s nothing really wrong with a non in-house tourbillon movement as it’s still made supremely well, but we like the edge all the same.

And so, it’s time to declare the final winner of the Trial of the Tourbillons series. The last victor of this successful series is the Breguet Classique Complications Double Tourbillon watch. Why? You should see the reverse of the watch, the engraving is a true piece of art, showing planets and stars and also a 3D design which makes the exposed gears look like a super complex galaxy flying towards you. There’s also something mesmerising about twin tourbillons doing lazy circles around a dial all day long. It is worth mentioning that this extraordinary piece comes at a massive cost when compared to the Jaeger-LeCoultre which is roughly half the price. That could be a deal-breaker for some, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre is definitely the go-to watch if you just cannot go for the Breguet. Both JLC and Breguet are members of the big six in watchmaking so you really can’t go wrong with either, my choice and, therefore, the winner is the Breguet Classique Complications Double Tourbillon. They still have it, and I reckon they always will. For more info, please visit breguet.com & jaeger-lecoultre.com

Do you have any ideas for the next series? Would you like to see us revisit the series and pit the winners against each other? Please feel free to leave your ideas in the poll or comment in this article and we’ll take them into consideration!

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The next series is expected to start in November, see you there.

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HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN – CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

A keen bass guitar player, Harlan enjoys all the perks modern watchmaking technologies the industry has to offer. Although you might catch him sampling Omegas or the Rolex, Harlan loves all things Haute Horology, with his three favourite brands being Breguet, A.Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin. He hopes to study timekeeping more in depth someday and will never be able to thank his father enough for introducing him to the industry. Read his articles here.