amanico
[JLC Moderator]
400052
My Jaeger Lecoultre Geophysic E 168. The Saga.
I thought it was interesting to see how my Geophysic got some evolutions since I bought it in... April 2009.
First, I had to find a dial... Which I found in Paris, in December 2009.
A few months after, in spring 2010, I found the sticker, at the Manufacture.
A few months after, in spring 2010, I found the right hands at the manufacture as well.... Well, right yes, but I am pretty sure the former dauphine hands were correct, too.
Then, in 2011, I finally found the Geophysic Box, the " small red book ".
And, in 2015, the crosshairs dial. I kept the more common dial to put it in another Geophysic, the day I will find it...
I ended with a nice strap, and, most important, the correct buckle.
Oh yes, this Geophysic was a real Saga. A matter of patience, as it is often the case when it comes to vintage watches.
Best,
Nicolas
My Jaeger Lecoultre Geophysic E 168. The Saga.
I thought it was interesting to see how my Geophysic got some evolutions since I bought it in... April 2009. First, I had to find a dial... Which I found in Paris, in December 2009. A few months after, in spring 2010, I found the sticker, at the Manufactu...
You are a man of patience and perseverance :)
I guess I am still far removed from either but respect it all the more as a result. And the end state is definitely more than worth it
Are you sure that ...
You are not a monk? One of the reasons that I avoid "rusty" watches is that I don't have this kind of patience. Congratulations and my deep respect, Nilo
Thumbs up Nicolas
I like the elegance of this watch. Less is more The new one is way too big for me
3 out of 4 are JLCs... 35 mm for the Geophysic, 37 mm for the E 875 and the E 855. Nice selection!
And may I add... Perfect on your wrist.
Beautiful watch
and a personal grail, but sadly now out of my immediate reach. Not only are they getting as rare as hen's teeth to find, but the asking prices are astronomical when you do find one. About the same price range as an A-serial 5402 and only getting higher. I...
Rare it has always been. But let's say that now that it is even more famous, those who bought one want to keep it.
I agree that the prices are going crazy about that one. I wish you find yours, my friend. Now, let's see how the Mark 11 will go... After all, it is, in my opinion, as interesting as the Geophysic is. Best, Nicolas
Wow, it's a long journey to perfection:-)
Wear them in good health and thanks for sharing
Great description of getting back to original spec
I know you mentioned you kept the dial when you swapped it to the cross hairs, do you keep all the bits that you swap out - so you have a full physical history of the watch while you've had it? Also a question about dials - are they associated with a spec...
Question of all questions ...
is crown correct Otherwise as blomman says watch is not complete Is patience virtue? Best D
and then....of course.....
....one needs to ask whether "perfection" exists or is it just the excuse one uses to engage the journey?
Patience pays off...
wonderful pics & journey Nico ! i like dauphine hands over the replaced ones - imho it goes well with the dial. Best, mahesh.,
It's always a pleasure to see this icon on its way to full set.. But if so complete as yours..
.. is so rare & difficult to obtain. Some sort of a brother/sister already would be a nice dream, even without all these amazing epiphemalia !.. Always in awe, my friend ! Best, h.
It's a great story
and great effort you made to piece together an important watch. Congratulations on doing the work to pull it off.
What a long journey my friend!! Patience, perseverance, search ... and good contacts are needed! But...
... the reward is well worth all that efforts you invested on it!: a beautiful and rare piece to enjoy and love!! What a satisfaction you must feel everytime you strap it on your wrist Nicolas!! Un abrazo mi amigo! Abel.
A lot of efforts, but a bit of luck, with that one, amigo.
Sourcing pieces for the original Geophysic is quite challenging, I must say. An example? The plexy, which is super tough to find... Abrazos, amigo. Nicolas
A great job you did my friend!! Of course a quote of luck is always needed! I wish ...
... youl find your plexi soon! Keep enjoying this beauty dear Nicolas! You deserve it! Cheers! Abel
If there was only one, it would be this one!
I think I would give up all my watches to get one like this! Thanks a lot for sharing your quest Nicolas, it shows proper dedication and faith in time! All the best, É.
For my/our information, would you have a picture of a Geophysic that ticks all the originality boxes?
And also, why did you change the dial, the non-cross hair one was an original too, wasn't it? Thanks in advance! É.
The dial was not in perfect condition. Not bad, but not in perfect condition.
Now, here is a picture of a 100% correct Geophysic with its 2 dials: ...
Out of curiosity:
I love your documentation of your transitions of this special watch. But how do you consider it? Every part is authentic, but if the starting point was the original Le Sentier factory product, would JLC still consider it an original cross-hair-ed dial Geo...
I asked them to put this dial in my Geophysic. I saw some Crosshairs with a very close case number to mine.
I had the same thoughts than you, by the way. But all being correct, I took the decision to do it. And with the agreement of the curator of the Manufacture. Best, Nicolas
So a Manufacture sanctioned restoration...
Actually how does servicing these vintage watches work if parts are not all original or comes from different models. Will they honor it? What If it was put together privately? Also when sending in old watches, does the manufacture replace with parts from ...
There is a serious sanction, the price for a service / restoration. Which could easily exceed the value of the watch.
And which limits the watches which are to be restored. No, they will not replace with parts from a different model. They will tell you they don't have the parts in question. But sometimes, they have. For example, I found a correct plexy at the manufacture...
