Jaeger-LeCoultre

1968 / 2008: 40 years after, the Rebirth of the Polaris. To be precise, 2008 was not really the 40th Anniversary of the Polaris, as this Cult Watch was born in 1963, as a Prototype, ( 50 pieces ) and was discontinued in 1970 ( 55 pieces ), but the truth i...  

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Thank you again for the education my friend. Best for you always my friend, Matrix.

The forum would be a poorer place without you. - SJX

What to say after this review It still amazes me how you manage to outshine yourself This review instantly got special place on my HD and yes I become mad about Polaris as from now keep on the good work k (I know you will) + looks like 10K posts gave you ... 

what more can i say ....... :P

Much apprecitaed, my friend. Best. Nicolas

Another super-report! I think I have an easy choice,,,,lol ;-) Cheers, Asi

Well worth the read and both a very fine example of a historical piece. Which one to choose? Thanks for putting this together. Much appreciated Nicolas. Best fernando

found this on another site. not sure how well it will be ledgable but ill give it a shot. HOWEVER at the `75 annivesary section of JLS site ONCE again the deep sea was passed by in the list of historical watches they made, ALSO I got the tropic original b...  

I wonder what this movement is doing here, as it looks like a Cal 916 which was used in the Snow Drop, for example... Best. Nicolas

The 'out of place' calibre in the documentation is a K883, as featured in the Deep Sea Master Mariner, so definitively a non-alarm movement... Nice review BTW Nicoals ;-)

And i see now why you told me to come back to this forum! But the one part that prevents me from saying too much good things about this review, is that the watch in question is a remontage automatique?! You know i only do remontage manuel mon ami.... But ... 

Nicolas, thank you for such a great in depth review of the re-editions of the polaris. I so eager and excited about it, and can't wait! This would be my first true JLC watch (apart from the PAM190) and could be the start to another adventure. Best regards... 

Thanks for this amazing in-depth review about two Impressive watches. A job that all of us know that is hard and long. But the pleasure for us reading it and your pleasure sharing with us this great job I know is bigger. Thanks again my friend. Best. Emil... 

Hi my dear colleague! Congratulations for your excellent work and thank you for sharing with us this Polaris "adventure". Your review is a treat and I'm glad to look at my wrist to check your points. So the point is, now you need 4 Tribute to Polaris, the... 

Hi Nicolas, I would want to miss any of your review or should i say "introduction" to the new Polaris since you said is NOT a re edition. As you have pointed out Memovox and Polaris are both quite simillar in nature except the revise caliber in Polaris,i ... 

Watches, pictures and review. Thanks so much for your thorough post, Nicolas....  

Nicolas, thanks a lot for such a great in-depth report of the Polaris Re-Edition. Your work is truly great asset to this forum. I have a question. Will JLC change the dial from later batch (yellow/brown) of the '68 Polaris to first batch dial (orange ones... 

JLC didn't want to have too much delay with these Polaris, so the very first batches come with the orange indexes, as to respect their promises to deliver the first watches before the end of this year... BUT, all the first owners received their '68 Re Edt... 

Nicolas, thanks again for such an excellent post. I have fallen in love with this watch and hope I'll have the money one day to pick up such a beautiful piece. regards Bretta

. . . crafted with your inimitable personal touch . . . truly, the passion seeps thru your writing. Cordially, Art

Good job big guy !!! Beautiful post. Best, Ben

thank you for not using the Calypso Hands, i hate them with a passion... hopefully my 68' comes soon... and i hope for the orangish markers... because i feel it looks more dated as i want the watch to look...

like Calypso hands but I don't hate them. May I ask why you don't like so much? Great to see you here, BTW. Best, Jean

long time no talk. the calypso hands just frustrate me, stems from the Amvox pieces... first i feel the minute hand is way too "loud", secondly it covers up the date window when its anywhere between 14 and 16 minutes, third it throws the dial off balance ... 

... a great read, Nicolas !! Just couldn't ask for more !! Thanks for you efforts and passion !! Tony

Seems that our passion for this watch is shared by both of us... Any pics of yours? Best. Nicolas

Th Polaris and its "dry land" little brother in the background. (Tried posting this a bit earlier but can't see it. Sorry if you see it double posted misplaced somwehere) Un abrazo, Tony...  

Many thanks for this impressive post. Wonderful watches, but I have to say the Calypso hands would have finished the design off for me. I can see from some of the follow up that not many people seem to favour them, but to me they just add that finishing t... 

Nicolas, Thank you for this incredible review. I hold in high esteem the project in which you have been involved and you can feel proud of the output: Jaeger-LeCoultre has produced two beautiful watches. This tribute without concession proves how respectf...  

Great review my friend !...  

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The most deep review I saw about a vintage watch. Thanks for this beautiful way , work and time to show the JLC´s heritage Jerome Lambert ..........no no, only 4800s

... LOL offcourse ! Very nice pictures Nicolas, especially where the dome-plexi shape is revealled ... Thanks for the post, and special thanks for letting me wear the 68 .... when i die the picture of the 68 on my wrist will go on my tomb ... LOLOLOL A sm... 

Thanks for the great photos and particularly the old advertising material. Is the EPSA logo now property of JLC?....now there is a trademark worth owning (well, in my prejudiced mind). One small point of fussiness, many of the vintage pieces appear to be ... 

THE ad is GREAT, they just printed it wrong, Again I corrected it...We must bring this back from the dead!...  

LOL Best. Nicolas

Thank you Nicolas for the passion in those words and thanks to the JLC Heritage Gallery for the beauty in those pictures. That is truely a very unique watch. N.

Nicolas, You, my friend were absolutely correct. This review was well worth the wait and definitely answered all the questions I could have possibly asked and many more I never even considered. I look forward to receiving my 68 in the not to distant futur... 

Now...where can I get one of these!!!

Many thanks for the wonderful report and photos, Nicolas... Best, Gary G

The caseback on the vintage: Were the cases for these made by EPSA or under licence by JLC? The reason I ask is that the case-inner is marked with JLC and the diving helmet and Brevet # of the compressor cases. I am also rather surprised at the rough cham... 

Here's the Draw of the Cal 815 which is exactly the same than the Cal 825, this last one adding the date... You will see down, and and your right, " Marteua de sonnerie " which is in English "the Hammer "... And you will see its exact location in the move...  

Firstly, amanico, this review is absolutely a must, welle balanced, documented with even some suspense... I knew that this tribute to polaris had been carried through with the help of private JLC collectors and aficionados (many of them posting on this fo... 

I speak only of what I know. In Nov 2006, 3 Collectors and first of all, friends, had a meeting with JLC Team in Paris, to discuss about the re edition of the Polaris. Were there: M.A, Y.O, and me. At the End of the dinner, JLC agreed on the principle of ... 

Hi amanico, thx for tracing the histoiry of this tribute to polaris. I'm just impressed by the conviction you must have shown in order to bring JLC on board (even if I guess they also checked the financial "viability" of such a project). Do you think that... 

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thanks for the review !

Thanks Nicolas!

Nico, Thank you for having taken the time to write such a marvelous report on the history of the model and of its technical innovations throughout time. I am amazed by how the Tribute to Polaris project was born, and also glad that a manufacture as import... 

Thanks for a great review. Nicolas a few questions: I am confused with 63, 65, 67, 68 and 70 editions. Can you specify in a chronological order all the Polaris and the number of pieces and the differences. The original Polaris had nylon straps?, the re-ed... 

I think that if you read the review I just posted, and the other review I made quite a year ago on the Polaris Vintage, you will have manty answers to your questions, my friend. Here's the link for the Vintage Polaris: jlc.watchprosite.com If you make som... 

Nicolas, I read the second post but I can still not figure out how many of each different Polaris that has been done and what year they were produced? Do you have a book you reccomend for long and detailed history of JLC? Best, CHristoffer

Here are the numbers... 1963: 50 Prototypes. 1965: 500 pieces. 1967: 7 pieces. 1968: 1150 pieces. 1970: 55 pieces, So a total of 1714 pieces + 50 Protos. NB: Numbers given by Cortesy of the JLC Vintage Dept. Best. Nicolas

Since these re-editions are so rare, your excellent reviews of the re-editions are as close as many of us will come to experience a Polaris. I like how you include so much history into your watch reviews that honour the tradition of the watch.

Now you know what to put under my Christmas tree! Cheers, -- Richard.

Nicolas, I almost feel like I shouldn't post a response to your article -- everyone else has already said it all (and probably far more eloquently than I ever could).  It goes without saying that your article was a fantastic read - no surpise there.  Now ... 

Dear Nicolas, You are such an ambassador for JLC. Your reviews are always well documented, beautifully illustrated with old documentation, not to mention the quality of your pictures! I was patiently awaiting this review, this is a marvel. You know my vie... 

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Thks for sharing

After reading such a good story I wanted to buy a Polaris now. ;-)

Thanks again Nicolas. One small question: what's the difference between the platinum 65 re-edition and the platinum 65 for Boutique? This message has been edited by Jester on 2008-12-06 07:55:30

Except the Metal, the weight and the sensations you have when you put a platinum piece on your wrist. The dial is the same on the platinum than on the SS. Thanks for your nice words, my firend. Are you on one? Best. Nicolas

I believe there's a Platinum, re-edition of 65, limited edition of 500 pieces globally, which looks like this: Then there is a stainless steel version that ALSO looks like this, made specially for Paris Boutique, I believe to be limited edition of 65 piec...  

65 x 1965 in steel for Paris boutique only 165 x 1965 in platinum for worldwide distribution 768 x 1968 in steel for worldwide distribution