I know, two moon phase watches in a row is a tad much, right? Well, it just so happens to be one of my favorite complications. Sure, it’s not the most useful indication to have on a watch, yet it is the most poetic.

Among Jaeger Le Coultre’s myriad of new releases at SIHH last week, one watch in particular stood out for me, the Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire with a grand feu enamel dial. And while not an entirely new watch, it’s amazing how much a new dial can change the character of a timepiece.

The Duomètre concept is an interesting one, where the movement has two distinct energy sources or “double-wings” driving two separate indications on the watch, one for timekeeping or chronometry and the other for the added complications like a chronograph or in this case, a moon phase and calendar complications.

The previous Quantième Lunaire from last year displayed the moon phase for both Northern and Southern hemispheres on a multi-level frosted silvered dial. It wasn’t my favorite, as I found the left side of the dial somewhat cluttered for what should be two simple indications.

It’s almost as if Jaeger LeCoultre read my mind, as the new grand feu white enamel dial is as clean as it gets. They’ve done away with the secondary hand-pointed moon phase indications, and the result is a dial that is far more balanced. Here the numerals are painted rather than applied, and the enamel itself is a lot smoother than a lot of grand feu dials I’ve come across, with an almost porcelain-like uniformity in texture. The moon phase disk is a vivid blue, with the moon done in slightly rounded and polished white metal instead of the photorealistic print on the original Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire.

Unlike the original Duomètre, which came in a more substantial 42mm wide case, the Quantième Lunaire is comes in a more easily wearable 40.5mm 18kt white gold case that provides a bit of warmth to subtly contrast against the milky-white enamel dial.

The caliber 381 movement within is nothing new. Though it’s always a marvel to behold. The overall finishing is better than the average Jaeger LeCoultre, with radial côte-de-Genève stripes with beveled and polished edges on the bridges.

For me, the Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire is the kind of watch Jaeger LeCoultre do best: a sophisticated and original movement coupled with clean, nonsense-free aesthetics.

The Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire will be produced in a limited series of 200 pieces, priced at around 42’000 Euros.

More information on www.jaeger-lecoultre.com