msimhamb
15
Re.
Oct 02, 2015,20:38 PM
I have the Patek and Vacheron world timers and just picked up the steel JLC UT. They all have similarities in that there is a world time disk and the hour hand can be moved in discrete increments independent of the minute hand, but beyond that there are distinct differences. What I like about the JLC UT (beyond the dead beat seconds) is the fixed city disk. I never liked the rotating city disk implementation as there is no frame of reference to locate the city to read the time there (with the exception of the city for which the local time is displayed). With JLC, the cities are always in the same position with the added ease of matching the location on the projected map to instantly locate the city of interest around the circumference.
Beyond that, the case execution is great on all three which is saying a lot considering the dated, boring case design on many JLC round watches (the MUT range excepted). I must point out the new JLC deployant is a let down. I don't know what they were smoking when they released this to the market. It feels cheap compared to prior JLC deployments with a mushy tactile feel to opening and closing the buckle and sharp edges (I cut my finger and bled while operating it). I'd recommend smoothing out the edges yourselves or taking it to a jeweler. Even the strap feels cheap compared to the high end brands (or even some of the cheaper brands). Shame on JLC for this lack of attention to detail on a $15,000 SS watch. These details separate the merely good from the great. It is not enough to hook your value proposition to the movement alone.
All that being said, I like the watch, as the strap and deployment sins can be easily "cured."