Jaeger-LeCoultre Presents the Polaris Chronograph with Two New Lacquer Dials

Ever since the name, Polaris, was revived by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2018, it has been synonymous with high-performance timepieces. It is a well-known fact that every timepiece from the Maison undergoes the strict “1,000 Hour Control'' testing. The year 2018 saw the timepiece maker launching a Polaris Chronograph with an in-house Calibre 751 movement on a blue dial. This was followed by the Memovox Polaris and a perpetual calendar, added to the Polaris line for the first time in 2022. Now, the Swiss watchmaker has expanded the line-up with two new Polaris Chronographs in grey (Ref. Q902843J) and blue (Ref. Q9028181). 

Of course, the Swiss timepiece maker has a lot more to offer than just its signature collections. ‘Need for Speed’ is not something the brand is known for, but it does enjoy a good name in the world of motorsports as it has been sponsoring classic car rallies. Right from its inception in 1833, the manufacturer has believed in three sustainability pillars, namely sourcing, nature, and people. Jaeger-LeCoultre has over 430 patented inventions and has mastered minute repeater, multi-axis tourbillon, and celestial complications. 

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronographs are based on their 2018 counterpart, showing minute changes. The latest models are made of stainless steel and are housed in 42 mm cases. Each new Polaris Chronograph features redesigned rectangular pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock to start and restart the movement; classic, faceted, sharply curving lugs; a thin bezel that provides a comprehensive view of the dial; and a large crown at 3 o’clock. Instead of being on the outer periphery, the tachymeter scale gets incorporated into the dial with a black chapter ring.

Similar to the bi-compax configuration of the Master Chronograph Sector Dial, each chronograph features just two, highly visible subdials for elapsed times. Each watch gets a bi-compax layout for its subdials for elapsed times — a small 60-seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, with red markings. There are two dial options in blue lacquer and grey lacquer. The dial is made of a central disc and a middle ring; on both versions, the colour of the lacquer moves from a lighter shade to a darker one.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronographs also get orange-tipped central chronograph hands. Both models get sword-shaped, skeletonised hour and minute hands, and a combination of  trapezoidal and Arabic hour markers for 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock, with luminescent coating. While the 2018 model was powered by an in-house Calibre 751, offering 65 hours of power reserve, the new models are run by Calibre 761, delivering the same power reserve. 

Turning each watch over showcases the sapphire crystal caseback with twin barrels and a column wheel with a vertical clutch. Finishing includes a Côtes de Genève decoration on the baseplate as well as on the signature openworked winding rotor, bearing the ‘JL’ motif. The blue-dialled model gets a steel bracelet and an additional blue rubber strap while the grey-dialled variant gets a beige canvas strap and an additional rubber strap. Both models are provided with interchangeable folding buckles.