Jaeger-LeCoultre

Hello All,

I recently acquired a new JLC Master Compressor Extreme World Alarm from a local AD.  I love the design and features of the watch, and the alarm sound is wonderous (for an alarm) to me.  However, after a few days of owning this detailed watch I've noticed some flaws in the dials design.  These same flaws I've also noticed on other EWA watches whose photos I have found on the internet.  So I was wondering whether there is a quality control issue with this particular watch model.  The flaws I have found are misalgined hour markers, particularly at 5 and 7 and the "6" is also slightly off center.  All are off by fractions of a millimeter, and are only visible with the naked eye if stared at, but are readily visible through a loop.  Also, a (white) line segment above the numeral "1" at "12" is missing (see my photo). Also, one of the compressor keys, when closed, is not parallel to the surface of the watch (when both keys are open, they are both parallel to the surface of the watch).  Are such flaws usual for a JLC watch?  Should I confront JLC about what could be done, if I care to have them rectify the flaws?  Has anyone here with an EWA watch seen similar flaws?  Since all photos of this watch model have similar visible flaws I would not want to ask JLC for a new watch since I would just probably get another flawed watch.  Any opinions on this one?  Thanks!

 

 

 

One of the reasons for me to buy high end watches, is the care for the details without being mass manufactured. Hand made with the ultimate care for finish. IMO you are right for the points you mention in your post, and I have to say that I cannot imagine that these faults are intended by JLC. So I guess a complaint is in order here. Not sure what they can do about it though. On the other hand these small things give a watch character but if you are bothered by them try to get a replacement or a fix.

Great watch by the way!

Best,

Starman.

would be out of the question since it would require too much possible destruction.  How does a technician take off the hour markers after they have been glued down without causing scratches to the dial surface, and then have to reset/center them?  Very very tricky.  If I decide to resolve the issue the only solution is to get this watch replaced with a new one.  Still pondering, and that is why I was looking for people's opinions.

First of all, welcome to the forum and congrats to your new watch!

 

Sorry to hear that you experience issues with your watch.

 

About your issues;

 

The missing minute mark should not be missing!

Please see attached photo, not my watch.

I have been looking a lot on this one, but it’s a little bit to big for my taste.

 

 

Not parallel index – well, if you need a loop to see it…

Have in mind that the indexes are applied by hand.

 

The compressor keys, no they won’t be. And by time the angle will change.

They are like screws and will be worn down a tiny bit every time you open and close them.

 

If I were in your shoes I would ask the AD to fix the minute mark.

And if the indexes bug you, maybe try to get the watch replaced, but I know it might be difficult to get the AD to do that.

 

Best, and please let us know how it works out

 

Blomman

The 11, 1 and 2 hour markers on that watch are obviously off center from their minute marker lines.  As I had mentioned earlier, seems like all photos of EWA watches show similar flaws.  My watch's flaws are at 5, 6 and 7 (plus the missing line segment above the "1" in 12).

Before concluding that there is an alignment problem, be sure you are not actually seeing distorted image through the sapphire crystal.

otherwise the markers would go in and out of alignment as I viewed the watch's dial from different angles.  The majority of hour markers are aligned correctly to their five-minute ticks, but a few are not, no matter what angle the watch is viewed from.

I wish other owners of an EWA  watch would chime in and show a photo of their dial so I can see a properly aligned dial.   As I mentioned earlier, every EWA photo I've seen on the internet has some misaligned hour markers on the dial, but not so for any photo of any other master compressor watch that I've seen.  I blame the individual at JLC whose job it is to place these markers on the dial.

...and congratulations on a beautiful watch. 

I do see the missing line above the "1" at 12 o'clock, at least in your photograph, and that is the only thing my eyes can see.  I really can't detect the off-centeredness of the markers at 5 and 7 or see that the "6" is off-center either, but I will take your word for it that it is true through the loupe.  I have looked at several other photos of the EWA on the web and cannot see this fault either.  But these are hand-made watches and there are bound to be some imperfections, especially when examined through a loupe.  The missing line at the top seems to me the most serious issue, and you should communicate with JLC about this.  I am sure they will fix the watch. It is still under warrantee, right?  JLC provides excellent service in my limited experience. 

At the same time you should also mention that they check the compressor key.  My experience with the compressor keys is that they do not all line up perfectly parallel on this model or the other compressor models, but maybe others can chime in here with their experiences.  I have two compressor watches, and the keys differ greatly in terms of tightness, feel and how perflectly parallel they are in locked position. I think that is the nature of this compressor key. But JLC can certainly check this for you to ensure it is operating as it  should.

Good luck with your new EWA.  It is a great sport watch.  How do you like the alarm?

respo

 

that in my photo it is a bit difficult to see the misalignment in the 5, 6 and 7 because they are so small, but they are much more apparent in the photo that Blomman posted at the 11, 1 and 2 hour markers.  As I mentioned, to see these flaws one must stare at the watch for a while and not just with a quick glance.  However, the missing (white) line segment about the "1" in 12 has become apparent now that I have noticed it.  It was hard to notice while at the AD before purchasing it a few days ago because frankly there are lots of white line segments on the watch.  To ANY casual observer, any of these flaws would never be noticed.  At a quick glance this watch is gorgeuous (at least to me, even though it does not seem to be a popular JLC model).

It is so beautiful to my ears.  It sounds like a mini school bell, and that brings back good memories for me (ahh, the innocence and purity of childhood).  I typically use the alarm to wake me up and as appointment reminders, but I also set it at random times just so I can here the sound of the alarm.  I hope I don't wear out the mechanism to early (hoepfully it last more than five years before needing servicing??).

Yep, I see the missing mark, and the misaligned index at 7, not the other points.

Yes, you're right to complain, and I would send a mail to the nearest JLC Boutique to inform them that you have some issues with your watch.

As to know if all the EWA present the same issues, I don't know.

I guess that a correction on your compressor crown is technically easy to do.

As for the dial, you can certainly have better, as it SHOULD be, indeed.

Ask your AD or a JLC Boutique to set all these issues for you, and keep us updated, please.

Best,

Nicolas

Dial design is tricky and the positioning of numerals is not at all obvious.  They were often put slightly off-center to ensure that from an overall visual point of view the "masses" of the numbers balanced out over the entire dial.  For example, they sometimes don't have their geometric center aligned with a radius passing through the corresponding index.  A classic example is old clock faces using IIII instead of IV so as to balance the "masses".

I'm not saying this is the cause of the apparently misaligned 6, just pointing out that it's not always easy to evaluate.

nick

Actually after careful measurement of various points on the watch's dial it appears that the hour markers are correctly applied since they are equi-spaced, but the white tick marks are slightly off (by fractions of a miliimeter between the five-minute tick marks only in some places). 

Would anyone know if the white tick marks are applied by hand or by machine?

Hi Bob,

Do you mean individually applied/painted by hand? I can't imagine so..

My guess is that they are stencilled or silk screened. Probably in a machine. Or by hand...

So there must have been something clogging up that particular marker. What surprises me is such a prominent error right near the 12 made it through to the customer.

Congratulations on your new watch.....

As Nicolas suggested, teke it to your AD or a JLC boutique to fix the missing index mark....

I would also ask for the warranty to restart from the moment that it is delivered to you....

I understand that you are probably upset ( and you should be when you spend this kind of money)
On the other hand no company can make an absolutely perfect watch and the real judgement is how
they react to problems as such....

Please let us know.....

Cheers

I am not upset.  I'm at the age where I have experienced enough to know that all kinds of things can and may happen, so I try not to fret too much whenever these things happen.  Besides, in no time at all I'll start getting scratches from who knows where, and I think scratches look worse on a watch than a missing marker.  It took me a while to notice the missing marker because there are so many on the dial and the marker is so small, but for me to still see it I must go looking for it with my eyes since it is not that obvious.  I am not too bothered, I was just "pointing out" the "non-expected" flaw which my JLC.  But in a strange way, I see this flaw as somewhat similar to a misprint on a stamp or coin, it adds character and value since it is rare and unexpected.   The flaws are unexpected, but tolerable, and besides, fixing them may very well create more problems than are currently there.

I think you are absolutely right.  That is a great way to look at these things.

respo

I thought, from your initial post, that you were upset....

However, since you are not, all the better for you...

Enjoy your new watch... It is a great one...

Cheers

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