Horological Meandering

Hi,

I'd like to get any comments, from an enthusiast/horological perspective, about the following two watches, one which is currently being made and one which is not.

Thanks
DB Darien  

 

 

This message has been edited by db darien on 2011-04-17 11:17:37

With the Date, I would say JLC ,again, which is more polyvalent, and more discrete than the big and thick ( don't get me wrong, the VC is a nice one, but when you put it on the wrist, you know what I meant ) VC.

Best,

Nicolas.

First of all, it has, IMHO, a more timeless design. I find the VC design a bit too bulky.

And in terms of horological contents, I also prefer the JLC for its in-house movement.

But as always, that's just my point of view and it is much better to listen to your heart...

Fx

You can't go wrong either way, but each will feel very different on the wrist, so it is important to try them both on. 

If both feel equally good on the wrist, then I have a preference for the JLC in this case.  I think JLC just got this one nearly perfect (I'd prefer it without a date) and at a good price point.  If choosing a VC, there are other chronographs by VC that I prefer to this one, albeit I think they are more expensive. 

Best,

respo

As I've owned the exact model before.

I think the Vc is beautifully finished. The polished bezel and case contrast very well with little subtle brushed parts of the case (like between the bezel and case, and between each link). The hour markers dial almost sparkles under the light. The hour and minute hands have a dual finish (half the hand is polished and have brushed). very fine attention to detsil for a watch at this price point.

Chronograph pushers probably isn't the best out there and solid caseback means no view of the movement (which is definitely not its strength).

I do agree with FX it is a bit chunky though so you'd wear it as a sport chronograph. It is quite thick and I expect it to be a fair bit more heavier than the JLC (as it is A LOT heavier than my JLC master compressor). However the slightly curved caseback makes it still very comfortable on the wrist.

I'd say the "build quality" surpasses the JLC but if you want in-house movement then JLC wins.

But if you compare with other VC line, definitely Malte Chrono for me

one of the best chrono IMO, again this is also has different price point

best,

ES

Then you should compare this VC Chrono to the Duometre...

Best,

Nicolas.

This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-04-17 22:58:50

Malte chrono is my most favorite VC collection,

beautiful, clean, just sublime, maybe like 5070, maybe not

Les Historiques is basically the same

It just my preference of bigger diam

indeed, it is comparable to the Duometre,

best,

ES

I see you are still not sure wether you got the right watch . Personally, I was disappointed when I tried on the JLC. In reality, it appears a bit too subtle, boring even, compared with the press pics. In pink gold, it is much, much better. I once had an optically very similar watch, a Zenith Class 4, also in steel, with silver-white dial and thin, rhodium-plated hands. The contrast between hands and dial was not great, in poor ambient light it was difficult to read the time. The main problem, though, was: It was not "spectacular" enough. If it were my only fine watch, worn every day, this would be fine. It is versatile, can be worn with suit or jeans, solid, not too conspicious, but interesting.

However, we are all watch collectors here, which means that we have more than a single watch. With the possibility to change the watch whenever our mood suggests that, adapting the watch to our outfit, it is not necessary to vote for a watch that is "nice in all opportunities".

If you buy the JLC in steel, I am sure that after a short while, you will either leave it in the watch box increasingly often and increasingly long (if you can afford storing the substantial amount of money in your box), or resell it.

From a technical point of view, you could also take an Omega, at a consierably lower price. Or consider the Squadra chronograph, which adds a big date, second time zone, and - above all - that uniqueness in design that might keep the fascination alive for a longer time.

Regards,
Marcus
This message has been edited by Marcus Hanke on 2011-04-18 01:03:36

Hi Marcus (and all those others who posted),

Well, I can't really say I'm second-guessing my purchase of the VC but these two were the "finalists" (with an honorable mention to Zenith) in my recent search for a versatile, high-quality, casual-dress chronograph with a leather or alligator strap.  I have a soft spot in my heart for both the Frederic Piguet movement (one of the first chrono movements that employed a column wheel and vertical clutch design) and the tonneau-shaped watches (I still miss my G.O. Senator Karree).  But yes, I do somewhat regret that the JLC didn't get my personal nod this time around.

Marcus, your description of the solid steel design of the Master Chronograph resonates with me.  When I originally tried the solid steel JLC on, I definitely had that "very comfortable...maybe a little too comfortable" feeling about it.  So if I was to choose the JLC, I resolved that it would be the 18K version, which has just enough 'pizzazz' to always keep things interesting.  The thing about the VC that I like, design-wise, is how the quality dial work (including the numbering and the big date at 12:00) keeps the wearing experience interesting.  To get that same feel from the JLC, I felt I would have had to spend the extra money for the 18K gold and, when I was considering the options, I wasn't ready to do that.

Perhaps on the next trade.....

DB Darien 

This message has been edited by db darien on 2011-04-18 07:53:58