Jaeger-LeCoultre

1) Lack of manual wind central second movement, thus the revised stock movement sans date 898/1, adjusted to a tighter tolerance.

2) Size: at 38.5mm case, a modern size however due to the minuscule bezel, the dial real estate is large and the watch wears large, too large for some.

3) Printing Geophysic on the crosshairs steel version, with interruption of the southern hemisphere vertical crosshair. The original had Chronometre placed under the Jaeger LeCoultre line replaced by Geophysic only on the platinum version.

4) Price: steel retailed at US$9800, platinum at US$32,000.

After 5 years, these watches remain fantastic. Hindsight is always 20/20. In retrospect, I think the better move by JLC would have been to have the same font pattern with both dials (a la the platinum version), thus keeping the south pole crosshair intact on the steel version. And, rather than have steel and platinum versions, have only steel but make the steel with both dial patterns. There were 800 steel but only 58 platinum models produced. I think it would have been brilliant to have, say, produced 700 steel with the crosshairs dial, and 158 with the 12/6 no crosshair dial, thus keeping production total to 858 (if that mattered), and having a modest price differential between the two steel versions, to differentiate them (maybe US$1000 difference for greater exclusivity of the no crosshair steel dial). Thus, consumers could pick their dial preference and still have the watch in steel, which it should be, because the Geophysic was always meant to be a working watch for the scientist/explorer, and no scientist/explorer could ever afford a $32,000 timekeeper.

The debate will rage on in some small circles, but could have been completely moot had my idea above been implemented.

As for me, the bigger issue remains with the ongoing targetless drift of JLC at present. This is the one and only JLC forum of note. I have voiced my opinions several times as to the lack of coherent direction/vision of JLC over the past few years, and have made several suggestions which could greatly change this. I assume that if not Mme. Renier, then someone from the company's marketing or public relations department avidly reads comments posted on this significant JLC forum, yet I still have never been contacted by any of the JLC team to discuss where the manufacturer was, is, and hopes to go in the future. Alas, it saddens me greatly.

M

More posts: GeophysicJaeger LeCoultre

  login to reply