The afternoon of our first day there we were taken to a rifle range and participated in weapons training with our resident frogmen, Hector and Kag. On the menu: a SIG Sauer 9mm pistol, a .45 SIG pistol, a .357 Magnum, a shotgun, an M-4 rifle, and an AK-47. On the wrist of both Hector and Kag were the JLC Master Compressor Diving Alarm. After a tutorial by the SEALs about the weapons we would be firing, safety procedures, loading/unloading, they led us into the range for target practice: individual and team drills. Now I don’t know about you, but being told by a SEAL you’re solid at double taps with a .45 is the kind of positive reinforcement I could get used to.
At this point you might be asking yourself, what role did the Navy SEALs play in these watches and their development? Well, Hector and Kag were each given one of the Diving Alarm’s to wear and test for the past year. This included use during their daily lives as well as SEAL re-certification courses (performed each quarter), and any other missions, activities, etc. they may have been involved in. In return, the SEALs gave Jaeger quality feedback on looks, feel, and durability. The cases were darkened so as not to reflect light on stealth missions (SEALs have been relegated to masking the reflective surfaces of watches with black electrical tape for years). Kag’s watch looks practically brand new, and the only damage Hector managed on his watch was when the bezel was knocked out breaking down a door with a battering-ram (Go figure, right?). Despite the violent jolt that accompanied that damage, his watch continued to work perfectly and does so to this day.
The motto of the SEALs is “never quit”. Ever. No matter the situation, they will go forward or die trying. These watches have been produced with that same line of thinking. Even under the harshest conditions, they take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. SEALs rely on accurate timing and synchronization of their watches, and discrepancies in timing between SEAL team members can mean delays in their approach, their mission, and their exit strategy. If you don’t believe that, try staying in the same position, perfectly still, for hours on end with your timepiece the only bearing you may be able to use.
In an homage to the SEALs’ establishment in 1962, Jaeger-LeCoultre has produced 81 limited edition titanium Diving Alarms, the Incursion Edition, 19 in orange with black PVD coating and 62 in yellow with grey PVD coating.
For the closing ceremony, Jaeger-LeCoultre invited a select group of VIP’s to attend, VIP’s who had reserved one of the 81 Incursions, and who were to receive them the following day. I had the opportunity to meet three of these gentlemen, all of whom happened to be purchasing the yellow version of the Incursion, one of whom traveled all the way from Melbourne, Australia to receive his. To suggest that they couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces would be putting it mildly. And can you blame them? Of course not. They were picking up their brand new limited edition Jaegers and spending the day with Navy SEALs. That qualifies as a track on the best-hits-of-your-life-album…at least to those of the horological persuasion.
