Home
Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic

Material
Steel, Titanium
Buckle
-
Water resistance
300 m
Size
ø 46 mm
Movement
Self-winding mechanical
Functions
Date, Power reserve indicator, Dual time
Reference
Q 185T470
Launch date
2008
Collection
Master Compressor
Price excl. VAT
23’000 CHF
Description

In harmony with its determination to maintain a consistently avant-garde approach, based on

a tradition going back to the legendary Deep Sea and Polaris diver's watches, Jaeger-

LeCoultre presents a new series of three diver's watches equipped with spectacular original

features. The latter include a case custom designed to withstand 1000-metre depth

pressures and an innovative mechanical depth gauge that owes its very existence to the

unique Jaeger-LeCoultre DNA. Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic is the star

diver's model with a 46.3-mm diameter and a mechanical depth gauge, while the Master

Compressor Diving GMT and Master Compressor Diving Chronograph measure 44 mm in

diameter.

A milestone invention for the “Diving Pro” model: the mechanical depth gauge (depth sensor

chamber)

Jaeger-LeCoultre engineers are particularly proud of their latest technical accomplishment,

distinctly visible in the chamber on the outer side of the case: the creation of a revolutionary

mechanical depth sensor capable of measuring depths ranging from 0 to 80 metres.

This ingenious device will find its place in the history books because, like any revolutionary idea,

it is based on an extraordinarily simple principle that offers the advantage of avoiding any danger

of clogging, while the absence of gaskets guarantees perfect long-term reliability. In designing it,

the Jaeger-LeCoultre technicians conceived the idea of transposing the exclusive system that has

been driving the Atmos clock for almost 80 years into a mechanism governed by aquatic

pressure rather than air pressure. The Atmos mechanism consists in a gas capsule that expands

or contracts according to the slightest variations in air temperature, and its infinitesimal

movements are used to wind the mainspring of the movement. In a similar way, the depth

gauge of the Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic is composed of a membrane that

expands or contracts according to the aquatic pressure exercised on its metal head. Its

movements in turn act upon the dedicated large blue depth gauge pointer by means of a clever

transmission system that is partially visible on the dial itself. The large rhodium-plated

component, called a rack, as well as the central pinion, are specifically shaped to enable a

logarithmic-scale display that is more detailed over the first 40 metres.

This valuable function was designed to be operational even when out of the water. The lucky

owner of a Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic can at any time choose to press slightly

on the head of the depth gauge membrane in order to check whether it is running smoothly

and to observe the relative movement of the pointer according to the intensity of the pressure

applied, as well as the changes in the membrane visible through an opening on the side of the

chamber.

In an era when diving computers frequently indicate the body's nitrogen count, calculate

decompression stages or measure water temperatures, the depth gauge on the new Master

Diving Pro Geographic constitutes an impressive achievement combining inventiveness and

technical genius. Unmistakably an instrument intended for professionals, it symbolises the

inexhaustible creativity and reliability of the timepieces conceived and produced within an

exceptional Manufacture.

A professional case guaranteed water-resistant to 1000 metres

The 44-mm cases of the Master Compressor Diving GMT and Chronograph are designed to

withstand extreme conditions at depths of as much as 1000 metres, thanks to an entirely new

geometrical approach.

Jaeger-LeCoultre engineers have optimised the case to resist the extreme pressures exerted

well below sea level by varying the thickness of the case middle, the back and the crystal. The

thickest point of the middle now measures more than 5 mm – almost double that of a watch

that is water resistant to 100 metres. The back is screwed in to ensure regular and more

reliable compression of the joint under strong pressure. The sturdy cambered 3.60 mm-thick

sapphire crystal will need to hold its own at the incredible depth of 1000 metres, corresponding

to a pressure of 890 kilograms – the weight of a small car!

The design matches the technical performances of these exceptional watches. The lugs have

been subtly reshaped to fit more smoothly with the diving bezel, whereas the case with its

shape that has been optimised to resist extremely strong underwater pressures confers a

powerful visual identity on these professional instruments.

Sturdiness, water resistance, reliability

As one would expect, the Master Compressor Diving professional models are characterised by

their diving bezel featuring cutting-edge technical and aesthetic details. The latter has a 60-tooth

system that means it can be indexed every 60 seconds. Like the hands and numerals on the dial,

the reference triangle is luminescent to facilitate reliable dive-time calculations.

The Master Compressor Diving also guarantees excellent readability thanks to the oversized

numerals and hour-markers, the new shape of the luminescent hands and the use of blue – the

only colour able to ensure maximal contrast below the water's surface. Water acts like a colour

filter, the intensity of which varies according to its composition (such as the presence of salt,

plankton, etc.). The higher the water above, the more effective the filter, and the more it

reduces the spectrum of colours. At depths of between 30 to 60 metres, blue is the only

perceptible shade. All of which explains why this colour has been chosen, in particular for the

movement operating indicator which bears vital testimony to the fact that the watch is still

running and will thus still be readable from several dozen metres below the surface, as well as

for the depth-gauge indications.

The tried and trusted compression keys ensure optimal security thanks to the supercharging of

one of the four toric gaskets by reducing the volume of its recess. In their diving version, they

come with a slightly larger diameter and are clad in black rubber to ensure an excellent grip and

easy handling under water.

The three models in the Master Compression Diving line are all crafted from a light and ultraresistant

grade 5 titanium, satin-brushed to reduce any glinting under water.

Moreover, the extraordinary reliability of Jaeger-LeCoultre movements guarantees peerlessly

accurate time measurement, a crucial factor in safe diving.

Indispensable accessories

The models in the Master Compressor Diving series are delivered with various types of

wristband, depending on their version and the owner's wishes. The articulated triple-link

bracelet, composed of a metal frame, is moulded in black rubber combining stainless properties

with unprecedented wearer comfort. For the titanium models, the articulated bracelet is

available in the same metal. Finally, all versions are delivered with an additional ultra-resistant

diving strap in Cordura® complete with Velcro fastening. The 44 mm models are also available

with a rubber-clad strap featuring universally recognised resistance.

Three typically Jaeger-LeCoultre functions

While the automatic movements driving the new series of Master Compressor Diving watches

all feature the trademark precision, sturdiness and reliability of the calibres developed and built

by the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, each model is distinguished by its own functions.

The Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic, which is recognisable by its 46.3-mm

diameter and its characteristic appearance due to the presence of the depth gauge, houses a

new Geographic sports movement. All the wearer needs to do is position the city symbolising a

given time zone in an aperture at 6 o'clock, and the time there is automatically shown on a 24-

hour subdial at 9 o'clock. Nonetheless, this indication highlights the “rack” required to transmit

the depth indication, read off by a pointer on the logarithmic scale of the depth gauge shown

on an outer dial ring. The date appears in an aperture at 3 o'clock, whereas the luminescent

movement operating indicator is located in the lower part of the dial. Equipped with the

automatic movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 979, and water-resistant to 300 metres, the

Diving Pro Geographic model is available in satin-brushed grade 5 titanium.

Measuring 44 mm in diameter, the Master Compressor Diving Chronograph is water resistant

to 1000 metres – an exceptional feat for a chronograph watch, as well as pushpieces fitted with

the compression system. The hours and minutes, as well as the chronograph seconds, are

shown by central hands moving over the main dial, whereas the chronograph hours and

minutes appear in subdials at 3 and 9 o'clock. The date is displayed through an aperture

between 4 and 5 o'clock, while the luminescent movement operating indicator is shown in a

semi-circular opening at 6 o'clock. The outer dial ring features a pulsometer enabling one to

determine the number of heartbeats per minute. This is done by starting the chronograph

seconds hand and stopping it after the 30th heartbeat measured. This function is particularly

appreciated by sports enthusiasts wishing to optimise their training by taking account of their

maximum pulse rates. It proves indispensable for free-diving, precisely because the diver's task

consists in reducing their heart rate. Endowed with a comfortable 65-hour power reserve, the

Master Compressor Diving Chronograph is available in satin-brushed pink gold, or in a limited

edition of 1500 in satin-brushed grade 5 titanium.

The Master Compressor Divng GMT, water-resistant to 100 metres, measures 44 mm in

diameter. Its functions comprise the indication of local time that can be adjusted in one-hour

increments in either direction, the time in a second time zone shown on a 24-hour subdial at 9

o'clock, the minutes and the date in a window at 3 o'clock. It is also distinguished by a

luminescent movement operating indicator appearing in the lower part of the dial in the unusual

shape of an elongated rectangle.

Equipped with an automatic movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 975D, the GMT model is

available in a limited series of 1500 in satin-brushed grade 5 titanium.

This inseparable blend of form and function gives a unique face to the new Master Compressor

Diving models, simultaneously revealing the serious nature of a professional instrument and the

inventive flair of a company that considers aesthetic challenges as the indispensable complement

to any technical accomplishments. In this respect, the remarkable functionality of the Master

Compressor Diving watches is simply incomparable. Each in their own way embodies the

constantly renewed inventiveness of the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux that perpetuates an

historical legacy spanning almost two centuries of landmarks in applied creativity.