Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALS: Special Forces, Special Edition…

The U.S. Navy SEALs and Jaeger-LeCoultre may not seem like natural partners. One thrives on high stakes, and the other concentrates on high horology. Both kick ass in their own way.

And that might be the key to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs Limited Edition. It’s counter-intuitive at first glance and it’s got a mammoth name, but it definitely kicks ass. As one of only 1,500 units produced, it’s also one exclusive badass.

At 44mm with a brushed titanium case and a scratch-defeating ceramic bezel, the Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs gets off to a storming start. Its beefcake proportions and butch details ace the combat diver look, and the combination of an alarm with dive watch toughness seems like a universally attractive combo. Those are the ultimate everyday complications whether you’re a weekend warrior or the real thing.

Any alarm function is a change-of-pace for the dive watch crowd, but this one is loud enough to put other “alarm” watches to shame. Like the SEALs themselves, the Master Compressor Diving Alarm packs a punch. A suspended gong with superb sustain endows this latter-day Memovox with true “ring” and not the rattle of many competitors. Titanium case construction amplifies the volume of the resonator.

JLC and the Navy SEALs have collaborated on field-testing of the SEALs line. Members of the elite unit have been issued pre-production prototypes in order to stress test the development units. As a consumer, the benefit is clear: a more resilient watch.

The grade 5 titanium used on the Master Compressor Diving Alarm is the toughest available, and it’s a fine complementary tone when paired with the matte black dial and matching ceramic bezel. Rubber caps protect the chronograph pushers and the central crown.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s original compressor crown system remains the fastest and easiest way to open and close an extreme dive watch’s controls. With a fraction of a turn, these crowns permit 300 meters (1000 feet) of water resistance and instant access to functions.

In this instance, the compressor crowns are coupled to an in-house JLC caliber 956 automatic. This caliber represents the latest installment in the 1950-present JLC Memovox family. But the technology is anything but nostalgic; free-sprung balance, 45-hour power reserve, laser-welded hairspring, SPYR-cut gear profiles, and ceramic winding rotor bearings report for duty.

This Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs can be viewed in high-resolution images at The 1916 Company.