Reply With QuoteCongratulations that is absolutely beautiful, enjoy
I know not everyone understands the whole birth year thing, but I've been looking for years now hoping that something special would come up. Lo and behold, today I received the usual newsletter from a dealer that I keep an eye on, and minutes later this glorious JLC from 1960 was mine. I'm absolutely over the moon, and will be even more so when it lands on Tuesday. This has been copied straight from the website...
I've had a JLC with the K88x-series movement before, actually. It was introduced in 1959 and was the first JLC movement to feature a centrally pivoted 360 degree rotor that wound in both directions. The K part of the calibre number was a reference to Kif Flektor, the form of shock protection mechanism used in these movements. The company had flirted with rotors in 1951 with the calibre 493 (which wound in only one direction only) but JLC watches with that movement were only sold for a two year period, and it wasn’t to be until 1959 that their automatics finally entered the modern age. Incidentally, a development of this calibre, the 888, is still manufactured by Jaeger LeCoultre today which is an indication of how significant, and how brilliantly engineered, these K88x movements were.This smart Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch has a solid 9ct yellow gold (34mm) case with smooth chamfered bezel and a satin finished screw-down case back. The dial has a minimalist design with applied, slim gold baton indexes and matching hands. Automatically wound, this watch is powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s excellent calibre K880 which has decoratively finished, damascened plates. Calibre 880 was first introduced by LeCoultre in 1959, the year before this watch was made.
The gold case was made for Jaeger-LeCoultre by the London based case makers, De Trevars Ltd., whose sponsor’s mark of DTE is stamped to the inside case back. De Trevars supplied Jaeger-LeCoultre with a range of high quality wristwatch cases, including gold cases for some of the watchmaker’s famous Geophysic models which were launched a couple of years before the production of the present wristwatch.
The movement has been serviced and warrantied, and all is original save for the crown (which I'll replace in due course). All in all, I think it's a real beauty, and once I have it in my hands I'll update this thread with some of my own photos. In the meantime, here are some from the seller.
Congratulations that is absolutely beautiful, enjoy
A beauty Tony.
Very elegant! Congratulations!
Simple and classically beautiful - enjoy.
Very nice,Tony. Well done.
Gorgeous!! Mine says hi
1969
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Nice for a 90 year old watch
Classy
Lovely, classic elegance. Congratulations - looking forward to seeing your pics in due course.
ATB
Jon
Very nice watch...congratulations!!
Very nice Tony and only a year older than me. I get the birth year thing, but most watches from the 60/61 period do tend to be the smaller dress type watches and the Rolex Sports models and Omega Speedmasters from that era are devilishly expensive. Marcj does have a lovely CK2998-6 from 1961 in stock, but a little beyond me I am afraid.
Well done and hope you enjoy it.
A very elegant and classy watch , congratulations .
That's very nice indeed
That is quite beautiful.
Just lovely, congrats ;)
Nice Tony, classy and elegant a little understated. Wear it in good health my man.
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Well that was a surprise. From the thread title I was expecting to see something on a chain.
Yummy!Originally Posted by learningtofly
I know not everyone understands the whole birth year thing, but I've been looking for years now hoping that something special would come up. Lo and behold, today I received the usual newsletter from a dealer that I keep an eye on, and minutes later this glorious JLC from 1960 was mine. I'm absolutely over the moon, and will be even more so when it lands on Tuesday. This has been copied straight from the website...
I've had a JLC with the K88x-series movement before, actually. It was introduced in 1959 and was the first JLC movement to feature a centrally pivoted 360 degree rotor that wound in both directions. The K part of the calibre number was a reference to Kif Flektor, the form of shock protection mechanism used in this unit. The company had flirted with rotor design in 1951 with the superb calibre 493, this winding in only one direction, but JLC watches with this movement were only sold for a two year period and it wasn’t to be until 1959 that their automatics finally entered the modern age. Incidentally, a development of this calibre, the 888, is still manufactured by Jaeger LeCoultre today which is an indication of how significant, and how brilliantly engineered, these K88x movements were.
All in all, I think it's a real beauty, and once I have it in my hands I'll update this thread with some of my own photos. In the meantime, here are some from the seller.
A very nice find indeed! Tuesday will soon be here, enjoy it.
(Oh, and I presume the Dornbluth will have to make way for this one?!)
;-)
Pure class.
Both year??? You sure princess???
Top snag mate
Pitch
Congrats. nice JLC. Us born in the late 50's early 60's Rolex subs are out of the question due to price glad you found some thing nice. I was born in 1958 and have looked and been thinking of a birth year watch but so far nothing in my price range I like yet.
That is simply lovely
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1957 for me and it's a nightmare both in terms of prices and choices or should I say lack of.
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Ah, so that's where it went, their decent watches tend to sell really fast, the JLC and Omega were the highlights today.
Congratulations I look forward to an update and some more pictures when it arrives, roll on Tuesday eh?
Thanks guys - can't wait for it to land, now
Grrr...Nice for a 90 year old watch
Classy
Yes, I've seen Marc's Speedy. Nice!
Errrr...
They have some lovely stuff, don't they?
Good catch. Looks really elegant.
Contrary to other opinions, I think the late 50's and early 60's are fertile ground for a nice birth year watch. Plenty of reasonably priced nice dress watches like this one from the likes of Omega and Longines, and lots of interesting chronographs as well. I have a linen dial Omega Seamaster and a large 40mm Enicar Sherpagraph from a year not dissimilar to this one. I'm not that old of course - just coincidence.
Timeless, refined and elegant, Tony. A birth year watch too. At least you and the watch have one thing in common! :-)
Tony
If you don't mind sharing, please, where did you obtain this watch?
Michael
Thanks ;-) Tony
Beautiful simplicity Tony, wear it in health.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Beautiful congrats!
that is absolutely stunning, I love the old cases, simple and elegant, and a JLC to boot, Congratz Tony.
Yes, they do, although recently they seemed to have settled on getting in Rolex, Tudor and Omega which in understandable as they are fast sellers.
In the past there has been a very nice variety of styles and makes, I do like the fact that most of the watches can still be seen on their YouTube channel.
That said I eagerly await my fortnightly update but there is just not enough stock!
Looks great, congratulations.
I get the birth year watch thing, have often considered it myself.
Congratulations, great piece and post
Very nice, let's see some wrist shots when it arrives!
That's a really nice JLC - well found.
I wear my birth-year watch a lot. It's a bog standard Seamaster from '65 and has a nice patina to it.
Congratulations on a lovely JLC.
I also noticed that one and thought it would sell quickly - whilst I deliberated whether I could count it as a birth year watch, on the basis it was first produced in 1959.
I will have to stick to my 1959 Advisor.
I think you're wrong about the year. The calibre was first produced in 1959 (not this watch), and given that the case of this one is hallmarked 1960 it's definitely a 1960 production date.Congratulations on a lovely JLC.
I also noticed that one and thought it would sell quickly - whilst I deliberated whether I could count it as a birth year watch, on the basis it was first produced in 1959.
I will have to stick to my 1959 Advisor.
That Tudor's amazing, by the way!
Thanks re. the Tudor.
Badly worded on my part Tony about the JLC. I was meaning that with the calibre first produced in 1959 could I pretend to myself it was a "birth year" watch, even though it was a 1960 watch. I was just trying to find an excuse for thinking about buying it.
Still I am happy with the Tudor, from what I have read I don't think they made many of that dial configuration.
I was expecting something like this:
;)
Love the JLC. Gorgeous.
Not a massive dress or gold watch fan however this is right from any perspective!!
Loving the general case/lug shape and the movement looks stunning!!
Great catch! Surely got to be a keeper as it's birth year?!?!
Chris
Tony love it once you source an original crown...... WOW
Nice Longines and Tudor.
Really love the JLC though.
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