Jaeger-LeCoultre is adding a blue colorway to their impressive Master Compressor Extreme LAB 2, a fake watch that impressed us in the past with its technical inventiveness. The Extreme LAB 2 was first introduced clad in red accents, and this year JLC is adding blue to the mix. Inside is the same manufacture movement setting the stage for the innovative set of complications and their controls. Our own Paul Boutros went in-depth with the watch, presenting a detailed set of images and a comprehensive overview. Let's take a quick recap in honor of its newest reference.
The Extreme LAB 2 is an intimidating fake watch at first glance. Its open-dial configuration and non-traditional layout present a foreign landscape in the context of other chronographs and GMTs. A little digging reveals a refreshing take on a familiar complication set, and a single-button engagement system replacing a traditional pull-out crown.
The "function selector" resides within the stationary crown, with each push selecting one of three positions: winding (labeled as Neutral or "N?, GMT function adjustment, and time setting. The current position is marked by a sub dial at 3 o'clock on the dial, and means any adjustment can be made by simply turning the crown. Water resistance is a big benefactor of the system, but we love the unusual take on such a familiar element.
Another step away from the traditional comes in the form of digital readout for the chronograph's minute totalizer. While the hours are marked within a sub dial at 9 o'clock, the minutes are tracked via rapid-changing digital counters situated at 12 o'clock. It makes for easy reading and provides a focal point for the sporting aspirations of the watch.
Setting the time will not hack the seconds hand, but JLC has built in a slider along the case wall at 9 o'clock that can be used to stop the seconds hand when needed. The slider requires a push and slide to stop the running-seconds hand to avoid any accidental adjustments.
The second timezone appears in the form of a sub dial at 6 o'clock, and a power reserve indiction wraps around the top half of the dial, turning blue as the power depletes. The openworked dial with contrasting black and blue components may present problems for legibility, but the 46.8 mm case should overcome any visibility issues.
Be sure to check out our in-depth look at the previous iteration of the fake watch right here, and keep an eye out for additional live images from Baselworld next month. Pricing for the latest Extreme LAB 2 is set at $53,000. For more information on this watch, click here.
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