Jaeger 20 ATM Vintage Diver Review

When you're collecting JLC Vintage Diving watches, you sometimes fall on some strange watches.

The Polaris II is a perfect example of a strange Vintage JLC with an uncommon shaped case.

The Jaeger 20 ATM is another one.

When JLC used to release some big Diving watches ( 37 x 38, 39, 40, 42 and 43 mm ), the 37 mm case of this Jaeger makes it look really small.

Its special dial, and the original hands are another specificity, and I don't even mention the movement, which is here outsourced.

Mysterious, too, because we rarely see it posted here and there.

When I asked the Manufacture to provide me some informations, I was answered that it wasn't made by JLC in Swizerland, but at the Jaeger Levallois - Perret ( near Paris ) factory, at the end of the sixties, early 70ies, for the French Market.

Let's see all these points in the details.

1/ The Case:

A conventional round case, with a sportive allure.

Big unsigned crow, large and angular lugs ( 19 mm distance between the lugs ) which look a bit like those of the Chrono Shark, small but thick, a bit ..bulky.





As you can see, the stainless steel case is entirely polished, at the exception of the center part of the screw in domed case back, which is brushed.



The inside part of the case back is not signed:



Small, with its 37 mm case, still very pleasant to wear:



2/ The dial.

There is much to say about it, as that's what makes this watch so special.

If I had to choose only one picture, it would be this macro, as it perfectly sums the character of the Jaeger 20 ATM:



Big round greenish 5 minutes luminous indexes, rectangular and thin at 3 and 9, contrasting with gilt rectangular non luminous indexes, oversized luminous " 12 ", big arrow minute hand, and the top of the second hand shaped as a traffic light, which we also see on some Vintage Seiko Divers.

The dial is signed Jaeger, and there is no " Swiss made " indication at the bottom of the dial.



There is, also, a red 24 hours scale at the center on the dial.

The turning bezel is glossy, with silver indexes and numbers, graduated each minute.





As you can suspect from these last pictures, the plexy is impressively domed, giving the watch dome distorsion on the dial, but a very pleasant warmth:

You don't believe me?

Here you are!



3/ Movement:

The interesting thing is that this Diving Watch is one of the very few to not house an in house movement.

But, on another side, Jaeger weren't known to use JLC movements, their purpose being to produce instruments, tools.

For their Chronos, Jaeger used ( like JLC, by the way ) Universal Genève ( Cal 285 ) or Valjoux ( Cal 72 ) movements.

In this Diving watch, Jaeger used...An ETA movement, the Cal 2783, a 17 jewels automatic movement, beating at 21600 Alternances Per Hour, offering an autonomy of 47 hours, and featuring a date.







As you can see, the finish and the decoration are almost close to zero, but is that so important for a toolwatch?

4/ Conclusion and general thoughts:

Let's say it straight, the Jaeger 20 ATM is not a watch which immediately comes to mind when you pay some attention or interest to Vintage JLC Diving watches.

This is not a JLC, nor a Lecoultre, but a Jaeger, which is not a negative point.

It certainly plays on another league, and on another register, too.

Here, the originality is not on the technical / mechanical ground, it is a toolwatch which needs nor use no sophisitication.

The originality is rather " aesthetical ".

This specificity was shared by other brands such as Seiko, Omega, for example, and obviously, the Jaeger 20 ATM borrowed some elements of Design proper to this era.

Nonetheless, this relatively small watch has a strong an uncommon look, far from the JLC Diving Timekeepers of the moment.

If we focus on the particular minute hand of the Navy SEALs Alarm, may be consider it as a reminder of the Jaeger 20 ATM?







Certainly not the sexiest Vintage, but a curious, intriguing, and atypical one!

Best to all,

Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-12-12 14:42:18 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-12-15 04:55:20