JLC Geophysic True Second: LA Watch Gang Meetup

SpanishRob recounts his cross-country journey to attend a Jaeger-LeCoultre event in Beverly Hills, highlighting the vibrant community spirit among watch enthusiasts. His post captures the essence of watch collecting as a shared passion, fostering camaraderie and trust among collectors, exemplified by the #LaWatchGang and PuristSPro members. This article celebrates the unique bonds formed through a mutual love for horology.

Hi Gang - It's been ages since I've contributed on this medium.  When I joined 5 years ago, I was representing a brand at their flagship boutique in NYC and it was a bit of a conflict of interest to contribute.

That being said, I was invited to join a bunch of watch enthusiasts last week at the Beverly Hills Jaeger LeCoultre boutique to see the new Geophysic True Second collection.  Amongst the enthusiastic collectors were members of Puristspro and members of the #LaWatchGang!  It was fantastic to be able to put faces to names, meet new members and be exposed to this community that I have been away from for too long.

The staff at JLC graciously showed us the new collection, the original Geophysic and many, many watches - including a Master Minute Repeater!!  The best part was that a bunch of us put our watches down on the counters - JLC or not!  It was great to get a mix of old and new and even other brands in the photos.

I was more than happy to pass around #TheLovedPatek (my 5711 Tiffany&Co - yes it has it's own hashtag on IG lol) for people to try on, take a look at, ask questions etc.  I walked away from it as well as my Gubelin JLC Memovox and I think some were worried.  I've grown so accustomed to trusting my felllow WISs since it's part of what is customary at our meet up in NYC (RedBarCrew).

There was a great turn out and we packed the cozy boutique.  As you might of seen already, Howard Par got some great shots.  Honorable mentions to my friend who came out, Ted Gushue, Editor-in-Chief of Petrolicious who coincidently had his boss be invited as well!  Kudos to the gentleman who recently starting collecting watches and his first watch was a Platinum Geophysic!! He said he also purchased the steel but he was accustomed to the weight of the platinum.  Once you go plat, can you go back?

I know it might sound of crazy to travel across the country just for a short watch event but meeting fellow enthusiasts and sharing that bond is priceless.  I've found that the camaraderie that comes from the love of horology creates these bonds unlike anything else.  Perhaps this is common in any hobby but maybe it stems from the emotional attachment we have to our timepieces.

It was a short 48hr trip but i was able to try authentic fish tacos and ride cruisers down to the beach in Santa Monica, meet with old and new friends at JLC, get a few meetings in, try a Pinks Hot Dog (!) and spend a few hours getting to know our brothers from the west, the #LAWatchGang (on Instagram - i'm not sure how much cross over there might be between these two mediums).

Thank you to all who I got to meet and chat with.  Your hospitality will stay with me for a long time and I am eager to get back and spend more time out there.  Special thanks to Thomas and the rest of the Purists for greeting me with open arms and invited me.

PS - The photos are in reverse chronological order.  Feel free to start from the bottom if you so desire.

Cheers

For IG

The business end

MMR

Platinum Modern VS Vintage for a retailer

Faux & NonFaux

Modern VS Vintage

Ted & I

Wrist shot with the guys

JLC new and old and a Patek

Platinum Polaris 

Love seeing a watch I've never seen before

The detail on the dial

The new Geophysic collection

A collector's Grand Reveil 

Santa Monica Pier w/the Monaco Vintage

First wrist shot on the West Coast - Santa Monica