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JLC 916
Calibre 916 (branded “Speedbeat”) was an automatic alarm movement from Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Introduced in 1969, Calibres 916 replaced Calibres 815 and 825 in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox range. This calibre went out of production in 1978 but was eventually replaced by Calibre 919, introduced in 1994. A total of 7,731 watches were produced with Calibre 916.
There were two notable features of Calibre 916
- It was the first Jaeger-LeCoultre alarm calibre to use a high-speed 28,800 A/h balance, giving improved precision.
- It was the first ever automatic alarm watch with a free-rotating rotor, as opposed to the bumper movements produced previously.
As in other Jaeger-LeCoultre alarm calibres, the alarm hammer struck a protuberance on the back plate, making a distinctive buzzing sound. Even if the alarm was not wound, the hammer rattled freely against the protuberance. In Calibre 916, this protuberance fits through an extra-wide hole in the center of the rotor.
Variants
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 916 was used as an ebauche by Girard Perregaux, becoming the GP 080 Gyromatic alarm.
Specifications
- 13 lignes in diameter
- Glucydur balance, automatically compensating flat hairspring
- 28,800 A/h
- Double barrel (time and alarm)
- Bidirectional automatic winding for time
- Manual winding for alarm
- Direct sweep central seconds
- 27 jewels
- Alarm hammer inside case back
Jaeger-LeCoultre Alarm Calibres
- Manual winding
- 1951-1958 Calibre 489 (also P489 with Parachoc shock resistance) - screwed balance, dual top plates
- 1952 Calibre 601 - transitional model, fewer than 2,000 produced, with a single top plate
- 1953-1964 Calibre 814 - improved model (also Parachoc P814 and Kif K814) - screwed balance, single top plate
- 1962-1979 Calibres 910 and 911 - 911 added a date function, solid balance, dual top plates
- 1996 Calibre 914 - manual with gong
- Automatic winding
- 1956-1966 Calibre 815 - bumper automatic, 18,000 A/h; 825 adds a date function
- 1959-1969 Calibre 825 - Cal. 815 plus date function
- 1969-1983 Calibre 916 "Speedbeat" - free-turning rotor, 28,800 A/h, date, Kif only
- 1994-2008 Calibre 918 - updated 916
- 2007-present Calibre 912 - automatic, gong, 24-hour function
- 2008-present Calibre 956 - automatic, gong
- Specialty calibres
- 1989 Calibre 919 - perpetual calendar and bronze gong
- 2005 Calibre 909 - selectable gong or vibration