pour les 22 je l'ai trouvé la (je ne suis un grand spécialiste)
"HIDDEN TREASURES
By the 1950s, Jaeger-LeCoultre had earned itself a place among the greatest names in the watch business. Although the manufacture was known more as a maker of ébauches, from 1957-1971 it also produced about 6,000 chronometers
with its own name on the dial.
If you check out the section that contains the illustrations in Fritz Von Os- terhausen’s highly recommended book Wristwatch Chronometers, you’ll find only three chronometer-certified precision watches from Jaeger-
LeCoultre. No watches made by this venerable manufacture in based in Le Sentier, Switzerland are mentioned among the chronometer chapters, nor do they appear in the various tables that list the manufacturers, numbers produced, and the years in which the chronometer tests were conducted. How can their absence be explained? Why have these technically superla- tive timepieces been denied their due acknowledgement?
To answer these questions, we must examine certain facts regarding Jaeger-LeCoultre’s production statistics from the 1950s and 1960s. Ex- actly 83,000 examples of the hand-wound Caliber 478, which was also used to power military wristwatches, were produced between 1944 and 1965. Exactly 52,000 examples of the Caliber 497 were made between
BY J. MICHAEL MEHLTRETTER
1951 and 1957. The Caliber 497 served as the ticking heart inside the Futurmatic, a popular and advanced automatic watch with a power-re- serve display and a crown situated on the case back. About 80% of these 52,000 calibers were exported without cases to the U.S.A.; tech- nicalities of customs law required that these calibers be engraved with the word “unadjusted.“ A total of 115,000 examples of the hand- wound Caliber 814, which includes an alarm function, were produced between 1953 and 1964. Sixty percent of these 115,000 examples were exported to the U.S. market.
Considering the relatively large numbers in which the aforemen- tioned calibers were produced, why did Jaeger-LeCoultre create only a few thousand wristwatches with chronometer certification? No docu- ments could be found in which the reasons for the decisions were stated, so horological historians have no other choice but to hypothesize and
From left to right: Chronomètre Geophysic Ref. E 168, Chronomètre Geomatic Ref. E 399/1, Chronomètre Geomatic Ref. 560, Chronometer Master Mariner Reference 24000-24.
venture educated guesses. Perhaps the reasons lie in the market strate- gy that Jaeger-LeCoultre was pursuing back in those days: the company didn’t want to hinder its flourishing business in inexpensive wristwatch- es by producing a lot of elaborate and expensive-to-produce limited models with the word “chronometer“ on the dial. Furthermore, the word “chronometer“ as a guarantor of quality was already firmly estab- lished on the U.S. by Omega’s well-known Constellation and Rolex’s equally esteemed Oyster Perpetual models.
If you consider the references and production numbers of the chronometers that Jaeger-LeCoultre produced between 1957 and 1971, you’ll find that the total number comes to just 5,908: this sum includes the Reference E 168, E 2985, E 398 (+/1) and E 399 (+/1). Dividing the number of units produced by the number of years in which these items were manufactured shows that the average number of chronometers produced each year was a mere 422...a small number indeed, especially considering that Omega and Rolex were already selling more than 100,000 chronometers a year.
The elite parade of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s fine chronometer watches be- gins with the Chronomètre Geophysic (Ref. E 168). Encasing the hand- wound Caliber P 478/BWSbr, this water-resistant wristwatch has a rein- forced crystal, a screw-in back, and a soft-iron inner case.
The watch’s dial is instantly appealing. Crafted from a white-lacquered ceramic material and sporting a chronometer cross, the dial makes a very harmonious impression thanks to its applied 18-karat gold Arabic numer- als at the “3,“ “6,“ “9“ and “12“ and the eight applied 18-karat gold in- dices between those numerals. This combination of numbered indices and bar indices combines beautifully with the skeletonized dauphine
Chronometer caliber K 883 S is a robust and intelligently designed construction. The rotor, which winds the mainspring in both its directions of rotation, has a heavy metal rim. The designers opted to do without a mechanism for the fine adjustment of the index.
Production of the Caliber 906 was discontinued just two years after it was introduced. One particularly notable feature is the built-in stop-seconds mecha- nism, which is made of green injection- molded plastic.
DATA ABOUT THE PROFILED WATCHES
No. Ref.
1 E 168
2 E 339/1
3 E 560
4 24000- 42
Model/Version Case
CaseNo./ Movement No.
775 561 1 331 970
1 185 280 2 019 073 2 019 764
2 210 461 1 399 237
Notes
Bipartite case with soft-iron inner case and screw-in back; water-resistant; ca. 1958; sold for 720 Swiss francs in 1961; privately owned. Provenance and acquisition price unknown. Serviced at Jaeger-LeCoultre in Nuremberg for $800. In very good condition. Original white- lacquered ceramic dial. Chronometer cross. Applied numerals and indices. A beautiful collector’s item.
Tripartite case with screw-in back and Geomatic logo in 14-kt yellow gold. This watch was purchased in New Zealand for $1,550. The silver-plated dial, which is corroded near the “6,“ has applied steel indices, a date display at the “3,“ and steel hands. It delivered re- markable rate performance (DEL 005). The crown is from another manufacturer. Servicing by Jaeger-LeCoultre is planned.
Tripartite, rectangular, domed case; back affixed with four threaded pins; this watch was purchased in New Zealand for $1,200. Gold-colored dial with applied indices made of 18-karat yellow gold. Date display at the “3.“ Geomatic logo on screw-in back. The crown is from another manufacturer. Servicing by Jaeger-LeCoultre is planned. An extremely rare collector’s item.
Tripartite case with screw-in back and integrated steel bracelet. Sold for 750 Swiss francs in 1975. Acquired for about $1,100 at a German watch swap in autumn of 2001 with original documents and box. Serviced at Jaeger-LeCoultre for around $650. Satin-finished dial has four sectors, raised indices at the “6,“ “9“ and “12,“ and date display at the “3.“ The design is typical of the 1970s.
Chronomètre Geophysic
Caliber: P 478/BWSbr
Chronomètre Geomatic
Caliber: K883S
Chronomètre Geomatic
Caliber: K883S
Master Mariner Chronometer
Caliber: 906
18-kt yellow gold
Steel
18-kt yellow gold
Steel
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VINTAGE: JAEGER-LECOULTRE CHRONOMETERS
hands to depict the time of day with stylish precision and understated el- egance. The sturdy bipartite case measures 35 mm in diameter. The back is screwed in. A soft-iron inner case protects the movement against the deleterious effects of magnetic fields. The hand-wound Caliber P 478/BWSbr is very pretty indeed, even though it doesn’t have all of the or- namentation that was given to the Caliber P 1008/BS, which is encased in- side Vacheron Constantin’s Chronomètre Royale.
The stop-seconds function is a special feature of this caliber. Pulling the crown outwards causes an impossible-to-overlook lever to shift to- wards the right, where it contacts the rim of the balance and effectively halts the oscillation of that all-important instrument.
In the late 1950s the trend towards self-winding wristwatches was in full swing, so when Jaeger-LeCoultre launched its next chronometer model in 1962 under the name Chronomètre Geomatic, the timepiece was equipped with an automatic movement. The circular version initial- ly used the Reference E 398 and came in either a yellow gold or red gold case. The E 399 came with a stainless steel case. The Reference E 560 de- buted at the same time, and unlike the other models had either a rec- tangular or a tonneau-shaped case.
The Reference E 399/1 discussed here was part of the second con- struction series. Just 300 examples were manufactured between 1969 and 1971. Although hardly considered spectacular, this precision wrist- watch nonetheless has a silver-plated dial, applied steel indices, and a date window at three o’clock. The baton-shaped steel hands harmonize well with the timepiece’s overall look. The outward appearance of the auto- matic Caliber 883 S isn’t likely to make a connoisseur swoon, but the watch nevertheless embodies superlative expertise that emphasizes skil- ful, precise craftsmanship rather than surface beauty. Aficionados and
watchmakers alike will no doubt be surprised to learn that the Caliber 881 G and Caliber 883 S both lack a mechanism for the fine adjustment of the index. Even more astonishing is the superior performance that these watches, which had not received recent servicing, delivered in our run- ning test: the greatest deviation of rate in the six tested positions was just +5 seconds per day and the average daily rate was +4 seconds per day.
The tripartite case consists of the bezel, middle part, and screw-in back. The middle part, which includes the lugs, is stamped from a single block of metal and measures 36.5 mm in diameter. The screw-in back is engraved with the Geomatic logo in 14-karat yellow gold. This logo depicts a terres- trial globe circumscribed by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s signet. The 12-sided polyg- onal back is screwed firmly to the case and can be unscrewed with a cor- responding 12-sided tool (no. 52). Watchmakers will no doubt be familiar with this solution, which is also used on the backs of other models made by JLC. Unlike the steel version, the gold version of the Geomatic case is just 36 mm in diameter. The lugs are markedly more delicate and have been soldered on. The bezel and the screw-in back (which can be opened by us- ing a no. 51 tool) are nearly identical to those on the steel version.
The Geomatic Reference E 399/1 that’s discussed here comes from New Zealand. It found a new home when $1,550 changed hands. To- gether with the first series of this model (the Reference E 399, of which 1,700 examples were produced), the total production run of this re- markable watch amounted to exactly 2,000 chronometers!
The next wristwatch in our discussion celebrates a premiere here. The watchmakers in Le Sentier, as well as those in Nuremberg, had never be- fore seen this rare, tonneau-shaped Geomatic Reference E 560. That’s not surprising, really, because this Geomatic was launched in 1962 in a series comprising just 165 examples. Though the dial no longer conforms to
JAEGER-LECOULTRE: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE CALIBERS
No. Caliber Functions
Technical Data
Diameter = 12.5 lignes (28.80 mm); height = 5.00 mm; 16 jewels;
18,000 beats per hour
Diameter = 26.00 mm; height = 6.14 mm; 17 jewels; 19,800 beats per hour
Diameter = 28.00 mm; height = 4.65 mm; 21 jewels; 28,800 beats per hour
Notes
Base caliber 12.5 ‘’’-449. A total of 83,000 examples of the Caliber 478 were produced between 1945 and 1965. Between 1957 and 1959, 2,500 of the aforementioned 83,000 movements were given additional fine adjustment and sent to the testing authority (B.O.) in Le Sentier for certification as chronometers. According to Jaeger- LeCoultre, a total of 1,392 chronometer-certified calibers were encased. The meaning of the additional designation “BW“ could not be determined. “Sbr“ stands for “spirale Breguet.“ Screw-balance with 4 regulator screws, Breguet balance-spring, “Pare-choc“ shock absorption, fine adjustment via micrometer screw with swan’s neck spring. Vacheron Constantin used the same ébauche for their Chronomètre Royale series.
Base caliber 880, produced since 1959. Rotor winds in both its directions of rotation. Glucydur balance has no screws. Fine adjustment solely via the index. Kif Flector shock absorption.
Introduced in 1973 as a new caliber with displays of the date and the day of the week. The latter display was removed on some examples. Automatic winding in both direc- tions of the rotor’s rotation. Glucydur balance with flat spiral. Kif Elastor shock absorp- tion. Fine adjustment via micrometer screw. A total of 7,000 such movements were produced between 1973 and 1975.
1 P 478/ BWSbr
2 K 881 G or S
K 883 S
3 906
Hand-wound with centrally axial seconds-hand and stop-seconds function; movement certified as a chronometer
Automatic winding with centrally axial seconds-hand, date display and stop-seconds function; movement certified as a chronometer
Automatic winding with centrally axial seconds- hand, set up to display date day of the week; stop- seconds function; movement certified as a chronometer
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WatchTime August 2003
The hand-wound Caliber P 78/BWSbr numbers among Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most beautiful movements.
contemporary tastes, it is inarguably well made, with gold plating on its surface and applied 18-karat yellow gold hands and indices. The date dis- play at the “3“ likewise has a typically 1960s look. The tonneau-shaped case protects the caliber against water splashes. The construction of this case will probably be of interest to technicians: the back, which is adorned with the Geomatic logo, is held in place by four threaded pins that pene- trate it at a 45 degree angle. Not only does the back have a rounded rec- tangular shape; it and the matching case are also multiply curved. Geom- etry of this sort requires that each component be crafted with the utmost precision. Because of the partly spherical formation of the surfaces, the case can only be manufactured on a three-dimensional Lehren milling ma- chine. We have seldom encountered comparably elaborate and costly constructions. This classical chronometer encases a Caliber 883 S - the same caliber that we already examined in our discussion of the Reference E 399/1. This valuable and precise timepiece likewise comes from New Zealand. It was purchased about 21/2 years ago for around $1,200.
We wouldn’t recommend that the Master Marine Chronometer enter a beauty contest. Viewed from today’s standpoint, it’s hard to imagine why a timepiece whose appearance has so little charm would have been launched with such high hopes back in 1973. That launch is all the more perplexing in light of the fact that1973 coincided with the onset of a total restructuring throughout the entire watch market. The timepiece’s future- oriented competitors were already equipped with quartz movements and were impressively slim. It’s no wonder that only 520 chronometer wrist- watches encasing the Reference 24000-42 were built. The majority of the 7,000 examples that were produced of the Caliber 906 were encased in- side ordinary wristwatches; a small number of these calibers were deliv- ered to Vacheron Constantin. Despite the initially negative impression, a second look turns out to be well worthwhile. The dial rewards careful scrutiny by presenting you with a pretty four-part arrangement. Each of the four segments is satin-finished so that the members of this quartet
Strongly influenced by the distinctive style that was popu- lar during the 1970s, this Master Mariner chronometer is still inside its original box. The accompa- nying document guarantees the ac- curacy of the time- piece’s rate.
VINTAGE: JAEGER-LECOULTRE CHRONOMETERS
CHRONOMETERS FROM JAEGER-LECOULTRE
No. Ref./Name
1 E 168 Geophysic 1
2 E 560 Geomatic
3 E 398 Geomatic
4 E 398/1 Geomatic
5 E 399 Geomatic
6 E 399/1 Geomatic
7 24000-42
Dates of Manufacture
1957 - 1959
1962 - 1971 1962 - 1968 1969 - 1971 1962 - 1968 1969 - 1971 1973
Case Versions
18-kt yellow gold 18-kt red gold 30 Steel 1,038
Number Caliber Manufactured Encased
18-kt yellow gold
165
18-kt yellow gold 18-kt red gold 773
881 G 883 S 881 G 883 S
18-kt yellow gold Steel Steel Steel with
steel bracelet
220
P 478/BWSbr
881 G 883 S
1,100 478 1,700 300 520 2 906
Notes: 1) In addition to the water-resistant Reference E 168, there was also the non-water-resistant E 2985 Geophysic de Luxe. Its statistics, which have not been verified, are as follows: 82 examples in 18-kt yellow gold and 20 examples in 18-kt red gold; not equipped with a rein- forced crystal, soft-iron inner case and screw-in back, it had an ordinary crystal and a snap-on back. 2) 7,000 examples of Caliber 906 were produced, but only 520 of them were encased in chronometer-certified watches, as the new quartz watches had taken the world by storm!
each produce different reflections depending on the angle with which in- cident light strikes them. The square bases beneath the numerals at the “6,“ “9,“ and “12“ positions complement the date window at the “3“ to yield an overall ensemble which, after you get used to its unconventional styling, begins to look more attractive at each glance. The tripartite steel case consists of a bezel, a middle piece and a screw-in back. The synthet- ic sapphire crystal above the dial marks the first time that Jaeger-LeCoul- tre used this robust and transparent material. The middle part of the case appears to be an integral component of the stainless steel bracelet, which consists of uncommonly large links. The automatic Caliber 906, which has earned chronometer certification, raises a number of questions in the mind of a specialist. With a diameter of 28.0 mm, a construction height of 4.65 mm, and a balance that oscillates at a pace of 28,800 beats per hour, the dimensions of this caliber are quite similar to those of the nearly con- temporaneously launched Omega Calibers 1011 and 1021, which were built to fit within the slimmer cases of the Omega Constellation. Unlike Jaeger-LeCoultre’s earlier automatic movements, the task of slimming down the Caliber 906 could only be accomplished by making some com- promises in the construction, and these compromises adversely affected both the precision and the sturdiness. The new switching mechanism for the displays of the date and the day of the week likewise created problems so that the latter display was eliminated in later versions. The ill-fated Ref- erence 24000-42 failed to win the hearts of would-be purchasers. Only 520 examples were manufactured before production was discontinued during the caliber’s very first year.
The Caliber 906 was also delivered as an ébauche to Vacheron Con- stantin, where it was given additional embellishment and encased in-
The harmoniously de- signed gold case with screw-in back, white- lacquered ceramic dial, and skeletonized dauphine hands make the Chronomètre Geo- physic (Ref. E 168) a beautiful thing.
The Geomatic Ref. E 339/1 chronometer was available solely in stainless steel. Corrosion near the “6“ is evident on this particular example.
Round Geomatics are com- mon , but the tonneau refer- ence 560 is extremely rare.
side watches in the well-known Chronomètre Royale series. Here too the device’s fate was less than rosy and it was soon replaced by a new caliber. For this reason, a considerable number of these vintage calibers still languish unused in Vacheron Constantin’s stockpile.
“Interesting“ and “rare“ are the two words that best describe these funky chronometers from Jaeger-LeCoultre. These characteristics also provide plenty of motivation to encourage a connoisseur to keep a sharp eye open for the rare collector’s items that go by the names Chronome- ter Geophysic and Chronometer Geomatic. Although Jaeger-LeCoultre’s modern calibers (e.g. the self-winding Caliber 889/1) are appealingly slim and beautifully embellished, they’ll never be as sturdy or as long- lived as their predecessors (Calibers 881 G and 883 S). Even fledgling engineers learn not to flaunt physical laws or stray too close to the boundaries of feasibility for technical mechanisms. These same precau- tions ought to be observed when setting out to design and construct a watch movement. If you make a skinny puppy by making compromises in the details of the construction, then sooner or later the performance of such a fragile timepiece will suffer.
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WatchTime August 2003"
Pour les aiguilles j'aurai une réponse avant la fin de l'année que je posterai , mais d'ou elle vient je pense très fort qu'elle n'a jamais été touchée, j'espère récupérer les fafios d'origine, il me reste encore un espoir.
ce qui est curieux c'est que je l'ai eu à peut près en même temps que ton fabuleux reportage sur TZ sur la géo .
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