Clavi
788
The blued-steel, sword hands wouldn't be proper for that dial on ref 414
I don't know what they will opt for, but if they return it to specs, this dial with gold index would be fitted with gold (or at least golden) hands - except for the central second that is always steel (I guess for solidity reasons).
More specifically, this dial style 'cadran index épis' should be paired with gold dauphine hands.
I don't think they will mismatch index and hands metal, unless you specifically asked for it and they approved (since it won't be factory spec).
I don't think they will mismatch index and hands metal, unless you specifically asked for it and they approved (since it won't be factory spec).
Interested to see how this will turn out.
I have the 1940-1941 collection catalog at home that shows 3 variations of the Etrier, including 2 refs 408 (the small seconds version), one (likely gold) with Cadran index épis, one with the more common silver + mixed painted arabic numbers, and a Central seconds version like yours (ref 414 with silver dial and full arabic numbers.
So not your exact configuration of ref 414.
I do believe however that the hands shown with the cadran épis / petite seconde are the correct ones :
(Edit)
I found the exact combination of your dial (index épis seconde centrale) on a different reference (2450, in gold), showing what the hands configuration should be, ie hour / minutes as gold Dauphine hands, Central second with counterpoise in blued steel :
Restoration of my grandfather's watch: an update
Some of you may remember that, a few months ago, I sent my grandfather's watch , a Jaeger-LeCoultre Uniplan Etrier , to Le Sentier for a complete restoration . After asking if I could get some photos of the work in progress , I received the following docu...
This is so exciting. I can’t wait to see the final results.
I hope you will be very happy with it and it will give you many hours of pleasure. I think it’s a lovely model with a lot of character and charm so it certainly has a lot of potential. It will be very interesting to read your assessment of the final resul...
Thank you, Christian!
I was indeed quite excited to receive these photos. I really hope things keep going better for you. Best, Emmanuel
Yes, I will have
to be very patient, but it will be worth it, hopefully ! Cheers, Emmanuel
Unfortunately I don’t know
and the quote mentioned no year, just the serial number. Best, Emmanuel
What a fascinating project!
Thanks for the update! I hope the project will result in something fantastic! You are right: if you end up with the hands of the example you found online, it would look great! That lollipop counterbalance center second is magic! Mechanically brilliant for...
Ah, wonderful Reverso!
Hopefully they will be keen to do a good job. And I really think this particular model can end up looking great. Anyway even if the result turns out being disappointing, I would have regretted not having tried the adventure. Best, Emmanuel
Fingers crossed for you my friend.... 🤞
The components look to be in great shape, and I totally love those blued sword hands, they are definitely cooler in my opinion than the simpler baton hands used in many Reversos.... Please keep us updated! 🙂
The blued-steel, sword hands wouldn't be proper for that dial on ref 414
I don't know what they will opt for, but if they return it to specs, this dial with gold index would be fitted with gold (or at least golden) hands - except for the central second that is always steel (I guess for solidity reasons). More specifically, thi...
Thank you so much for all this material and for your insight, Clavi!
Very helpful and much appreciated. I must say that gold dauphine hands and blued steel central seconds hand would be very much to my liking. It's also great to see how the crown might look like: flat and flush to the case. Let's wait and see now. Thank yo...
Yes that’s exactly it
Beautiful config even with the slightly excessive patina ! (Crown is a bit too thick and round though, but that’s a minor point)
I am very much looking forward
to seeing the final result. The one pictured is such a beautiful watch.
A very special (and beautiful) family heirloom
Cool to see a “work in progress” and I agree with your taste on the final photos you found. A reminder that good things take time. Very much looking forward to the final result. Thanks for sharing this very cool experience! 👍🏻
Thank you. I’m keeping my fingers crossed
for the result to meet my expectations. But I’m happy whatever the outcome to have embarked on this adventure. Best, Emmanuel
That's very cool - didn't know they did that!
If I had I'd have asked for photos when sent my futurematic in for a service. Did get an extract from the archives though. Cheers JML
I didn’t know either, but thought I would ask !
And was pleasantly surprised to get this answer. I haven’t asked for an extract from the archive though: maybe I will now that you mention it ! Best, Emmanuel
I have a feeling it will come back well done
The crystal isn't an issue. Most likely the dauphine hands will not be either. (I hope) The good thing about the refreshing of the dial is that there isn't much printing so Jaeger LeCoultre and swiss or fab. suisse would certainly be printed much better t...
The numbers are applied as shows the photo of the watch
before it was sent for restoration. So, I don’t really know what happened during the refreshing of the dial. Or maybe it’s just an impression we have because the photo is so small and the dial is wrapped into plastic. I have no other explanation for the m...
Thank you so much for this photo,
which shows another example of dial and hands. It’s a model with small seconds (vs. center seconds) and the style is different but it looks very nice. Thanks again. Best, Emmanuel