Leonardo DiCaprio, who is teaming with Jaeger-LeCoultre on environmental efforts, wears the brand's one-of-a-kind “Master Compressor Extreme Lab” timepiece to the premiere of his documentary, “The 11th Hour.”

Swiss watch company Jaeger Le-Coultre has teamed up with actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio on a fund-raising program designed to benefit green-friendly efforts worldwide.

The “Time to Care” program, which will benefit the Leonardo DiCaprio Fund at the California Community Foundation (CCF), will focus on the sale of two uniquely executed timepieces in the fall of 2008, the brand announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Both timepieces will be the first in a limited series of watches that feature technology that has never been used before, with 100 percent of the proceeds funneled to the DiCaprio fund at the CCF.

The first unique piece for sale will be a one-of-a-kind “Master Compressor Extreme Lab,” worn by DiCaprio to the premiere of his documentary, The 11th Hour and engraved with his signature. Valued at US$300,000, it will be the first watch in the “Extreme Lab” series to be delivered anywhere in the world.

Crafted in carbon fiber and titanium, the watch features an automatic tourbillon, two time zones, a pointer-type AM/PM indication at 12 o'clock and a patented jumping date display between 15 and 16 linked to local time. It also features the first mechanical movement to operate without any lubricant and is resistant to extreme temperatures, ranging from minus 40 degrees to plus 60 degrees Celsius.

The second unique timepiece for sale will be a one-of-a-kind edition of the “Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2,” valued at approximately US$400,000. It contains a state-of-the-art, first-ever spherical tourbillon and will be the first watch in the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 series to be delivered worldwide.

A key feature is its cylinder-shaped balance spring with end curves, an innovation in accuracy that the watch brand says paves the way for a level of rotating precision that is unprecedented for a timepiece designed to follow its wearer's movements. The watch also contains a 50-hour power reserve and is crafted in platinum.

The Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 contains more than 371 parts and was specially created to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Jaeger-LeCoultre this year.

The watches will be presented exclusively at the new Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques in Boca Raton, Florida, and in Beverly Hills, California, which are scheduled to open in the summer and fall of this year, respectively.

Jaeger-LeCoultre says its own longtime efforts to preserve the environment drew its attention to the efforts of DiCaprio, whose own environmental activism dates back to the launch of his fund at the CCF in 1998. The CCF is devoted to heightening awareness and spurring action on issues ranging from global warming and alternative and renewable energy sources, to the preservation of the planet's biodiversity.

In addition to the efforts put forth through this initiative, Jaeger-LeCoultre has formalized its sustainable-growth initiatives into a comprehensive working plan, called “Making Time More Beautiful.”

The company is also planning other green-friendly efforts in the months ahead, including recycling and only using recyclable paper goods, setting up a company transport system for employees and implementing various carbon-offsetting measures.

Source: National Jeweler