The DBS transponder watch incorporating an 'open' position on the crystal between eight and nine o'clock and a 'close' position between three o'clock and four o'clock to respectively unlock and lock the car's doors.

One of the worst kept secrets in watch making has now become an official announcement - Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a special transponder timepiece for  the Aston Martin DBS that will enable owners to lock and unlock their car from a distance of up to 10 meters by simply pressing the sapphire crystal that protects the watch dial.
 
Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez inadvertently let the cat out of the bag about the proposed gadget several months ago during an unrelated event ,when the AMVOX2 DBS Transponder was still under design - but JLC has now perfected the decidedly Bond-like device which should be on sale before the end of the year.    
 
The watch operates on the same principle as the innovative AMVOX2 model on which the so-called 'vertical trigger system,' activated by pushing the crystal, is used to stop and start the chronograph. The DBS transponder version takes the mechanism a step further by incorporating an 'open' position on the crystal between eight and nine o'clock and a 'close' position between three o'clock and four o'clock to respectively unlock and lock the car's doors.
 
JLC says it took 18 months to perfect the watch, largely because the transponder had to be miniaturised and re-designed so that its electrical field did not have an adverse affect on the timekeeping mechanism. To help prevent this, the antenna is metallised onto the inside of the crystal.
 
Design details on the watch echo those found on the car it complements - the dial features a suspended DBS logo, there is a subtle Aston Martin emblem on the movement operating indicator and the ruthenium grey bridges, satin finish and black background are intended to evoke the look of a DBS instrument
panel.
 
Price is yet to be announced, but is expected to be around £15,000.