The Jaeger-LeCoultre Navy SEALs partnership is in my opinion, more than just a marketing project without substance prevalent in the luxury industry. It is also a medium to long term project where the quality and design of future products are being constantly discussed by both parties as I make this posting. Two Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs were sent to Navy SEALs for FIELD TESTING early August 2009 and another Master Compressor Chronograph GMT Navy SEALs was handed to Navy SEALs this month when the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre team made a visit to the Navy SEALs Museum.
From what we heard, the field test feedback has been very positive and each comments, real life experience will be collected and considered in future Jaeger-LeCoultre Navy SEALs products, and even before the incorporation of such improvements. the future Navy SEALs will already be products to watch out for.
As for the three watches (obtained from regular production batch) sent to Navy SEALs for field testing, they were controlled under bailiff presence and was heavily tested before the delivery. The area of testing includes the functional testing including alarm, duration of sounds, the resistance and durability of bracelets, magnetic test, accuracy tests performed on witschi tools and water resistance test with aquapress tools. While Jaeger-LeCoultre is quiet on this, the assumption is that the watch will be tested again if they ever come back intact (this is field testing under actual missions, not just asking the Navy SEALs to wear for training and photoshoot- just a note that USN 588 600 is named as a tribute to the USNavy and the 588 and 600 are the serial numbers of the actual watches).
According to Marc Menant of Jaeger-LeCoultre, who is also part of the visiting team including CEO Jerome Lambert and PR & Communication Chief Isabelle Gervais, the Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are NOT the Navy SEALs OFFICIAL watch and no one has claimed otherwise. It is however a solid partnership with substance. And I salute Jaeger-LeCoultre for this.
