Teddy Baldassarre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date 40mm Review: A Smaller Take on the Diving Classic
JLC brings its blue lacquer-dial Polaris Date down to 40mm, keeping the 70-hour movement and 200-meter water resistance.More
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Vallée de Joux village; home of Jaeger-LeCoultre since 1833 and Blancpain since 1992 revival.
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Jaeger-LeCoultre thread.
The 1931 swivel-case Art Deco watch made for British cavalry officers in India.
The Master Control Chronomètre line lands with an integrated bracelet, a brand-new High Precision Guarantee, and three models. Here's how JLC is positioning against the steel-sports-watch crowd without ever using the words "sports watch".
Teddy Baldassarre
JLC brings its blue lacquer-dial Polaris Date down to 40mm, keeping the 70-hour movement and 200-meter water resistance.More
Revolution
Hodinkee
There's no way to keep up, Baller. It's true. There's too much to do and too little time, and somehow it's another Friday, and before we relax together and look at some interesting watches available over the next week, let's take some comfort in the fact that, here in the States, two small-market teams are squaring off in the World Series. Incredibly, the Brewers ranked 19th in total payroll for 2026, while the Rays ranked 25th. I bring this up only to note that anything is possible, and huge congrats to fans of both teams. Sure seems like it's gonna be an amazing series. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Boucheron remains available, the Breguet sells today, the IWC Aquatimer passed at auction, and the LIP Paul Newman sold for €820. Strays Photo courtesy of Drouot. Mr Clymer, Mr Wind, and Mr Dunne raised a good point that Jaeger-LeCoultre is still underrated, and while this one's unlikely to be a $1M watch, I can think of a few DuoPlans that look more fetching. For those still seeking a slightly under-the-radar integrated-bracelet sport watch from the 70s and 80s, may I present this Omega 'Alveoles.' Here's a vintage anonymous beauty with an 18k gold case and running seconds at the top rather than the bottom of the dial, and, from the same auction, if there's a better-looking vintage regulator than this Eterna on auction anywhere in the coming week, I haven't seen it. Certina DS-3 Super PH1000M Photo courtesy of The Saleroom. The upcoming Dr Crott auction goes down on ...
Fratello
There are watchmakers, and then there is the “Watchmaker of Watchmakers,” a heavy title that Jaeger-LeCoultre earned the hard way by supplying high-end calibers to the holy trinity of horology for decades. Since 1833, the Vallée de Joux watchmaker has produced over 1,400 calibers. While that alone is a huge flex, JLC has also dedicated […] Visit The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 36mm Returns In A Classy Pink Gold Case to read the full article.
Monochrome
When thinking about the most emblematic watches produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, some might, of course, mention the Reverso or the Memovox immediately. That said, the Master collection must be included in the list, whether we’re talking about the Master Control collection that debuted in 1992, or the more recent, more elegant and more slender Master Ultra […]
Video
Eric's Reverso Tribute to 1931 U.S. Edition was a wedding gift from his friend Jack Carlson and has been a faithful companion ever since. More recently, Eric had the caseback engraved with Our Lady of Guadalupe, a cho...
Time+Tide
From Biver's first steel watch to the MB&F; LM1 EVO and Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo, catch up on the biggest new watch releases of the week
Hodinkee
What We Know There's a new miniature watch in town, and it's the Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Chain. Inspired by a 1955 Duoplan model nicknamed the "Chain" for its "braided" gold-link bracelet, the new high-jewelry watch reinterprets that design with a sculptural 18K pink-gold bangle. It features diagonal bands that alternate between black HyCeram (a high-gloss ceramic material) and rows of brilliant-cut diamonds, offering a contemporary take on the original's sinuous chain motif. The bangle is cast in a mold made specifically for each watch, with 36 cavities filled by hand with liquid HyCeram. A master gem-setter then drills and sets the alternating diagonal bands with brilliant-cut diamonds. The finished bangle frames a diminutive watch with a black lacquered dial, which has a "JL" monogram above the hour and minute hands, all surrounded by a diamond bezel—bringing its overall diamond weight to an approximate 2.73 carats. But despite all the jewelry surrounding it, the real star is the Calibre 101, the world's smallest manually wound mechanical movement. The story dates back to the Duoplan, which was invented and patented in 1925, before JLC introduced the Calibre 101 in 1929 using the same two-level architecture (hence the name "Duoplan"). At just 14mm long, 4.8mm wide, and 3.4mm thick, the movement weighs barely a gram, and remarkably, its dimensions and architecture remain unchanged nearly a century later. Today, each movement takes around 40 hours to assemble by hand, maki...
Time+Tide
The Perpetual Calendar in JLC's Master Control collection is Tom's weapon of choice against Zach and Russell's picks. Let's find out why...
Worn & Wound
Favre Leuba is a slightly curious brand. Despite being able to trace its origins back to 1737 (beaten only by Blancpain), the brand has undergone a succession of relaunches in recent decades as it attempts to re-forge its identity. As a result, it doesn’t perhaps register on the radar of many watch enthusiasts in the same way as other storied names. On their website, Favre Leuba are rightly proud to present a timeline of important events in their history, and it’s worth checking out, but the abridged version begins as follows: Abraham Favre begins making watches in Le Locle in 1737. The family business becomes A. Favre & Fils in 1792 under the stewardship of Abraham’s son and two grandsons. By 1815, the next (fourth) generation of the Favre family joins forces with August Leuba, and the Favre-Leuba name is seen for the first time. Many important developments are scattered through the next century and a half, including single-button chronographs, altimeters and barometers, and collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre. As was the case with many Swiss watch brands, the Quartz Crisis had a severe impact on Favre Leuba. The Favre family’s eighth generation was the last to be involved in the business before ownership was first transferred to Benedom SA, then LVMH, and Valentin SA. In 2011 the Titan Company Limited took ownership, and it was under their stewardship that the watch I’m writing about today was made. The Raider series of watches was influenced by cushion cased w...
Hodinkee
Backed by Breitling's House of Brands group, Gallet's return was hotly anticipated and closely scrutinized. Priced between $2,900 for a three-hand Flying Officer model with date and about $6,700 for the vintage-inspired 'Classics' models, replete with Breitling B09 hand-wound calibers, the revived brand's pricing at Breitling boutiques is certainly aggressive. Gallet's rebirth and price-category decision mark the most high-profile and ambitious attempt by the Swiss watch industry to reclaim a space it once owned but has largely ceded in recent years to so-called 'boutique' or micro-brands that have filled the gap left by traditional Swiss brands moving upscale.Over the past decade, brands have climbed the value-category ladder even higher, making fewer watches at higher prices. The so-called mid-tier premium—or luxury watches with an MSRP between $2,000 and $5,000—was once dominated by Swiss brands from Omega to Breitling to TAG Heuer and Jaeger-LeCoultre. And while TAG Heuer still produces plenty of watches in the category, including the solar-powered quartz Formula 1, much of its development and marketing resources have been focused on new pricier versions of classic chronographs housed in titanium or other lightweight materials including the highly innovative, but eye-wateringly expensive, Monaco 'Evergraph' retailing at more than $28,000. Several of the new Gallet watches are available on a steel bracelet that is the same used on some Breitling models. Photo Cre...
Video
New releases from A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Seiko, and more. From high-end grails to stunning dress watches and everyday adventure watches, here are the month’s top standout pieces. Which one would you ad...
Time+Tide
For Zach, his favourite of the group has to be the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve. Here's why...
SJX Watches
The charming and compact Lady B extends Blancpain’s collection of elegant ladies watches while upholding the brand’s longstanding commitment to mechanical calibres. At just 19 mm in size and almost spherical in form, the Lady B contains an upmarket automatic movement that transcends the quartz-powered norms for this segment of watchmaking. Initial thoughts The Lady B is the spiritual successor to the Ladybird Bullet, which introduced the world’s smallest round mechanical movement when it debuted 70 years ago under the leadership of Betty Fiechter, the first woman to lead a major Swiss watch brand. The “round” qualifier is important because the smallest mechanical movement — then, as now — was the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 101, which is still in production but in extremely limited numbers, and reserved for high jewellery collections. The Lady B (left) with the original Ladybird Bullet from 1956 The Lady B is larger than the vintage Bullet, but at just 19 mm it’s still small enough that the size is the main point of intrigue. The watch is almost spherical being 13 mm thick, but rather than feeling too thick this aspect gives the watch a charming bead-like feel similar to the original Bullet. The spherical feel is completed by the absence of conventional lugs; the Lady B instead features a pass-through channel for a selection of interchangeable straps. This hypothetically allows multiple Lady B’s to be “stacked” on the same strap for a jewellery-like look, b...
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
Few brands can match the watchmaking credentials of Jaeger-LeCoultre. This nearly 200 year old manufacture has been a powerhouse of movement production for generations, creating more than 1,400 calibers throughout its history. While icons like the Reverso understandably carry much of the brand’s modern identity, there
WatchAdvice
I take the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronomètre Perpetual Calendar hands-on to discover how the Maison has combined an ultra-thin complication with its first integrated bracelet design! What We Love: Impressively slim perpetual calendar architecture Beautifully executed integrated bracelet design Excellent proportions to suit a range of wrist sizes What We Don’t: Pink gold and toffee dial lack contrast Calendar adjustments still require a corrector No factory strap alternative currently offered Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Value for Money: 9.5/10 Wearability: 9.7/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a bold new direction for its Master Control collection with the introduction of the Master Control Chronomètre family. This new collection brings an integrated bracelet to the Maison for the very first time, while taking the traditional elegance of the Master Control and presenting it through a more contemporary design. Did Jaeger-LeCoultre Perfect The Integrated Bracelet Watch? (Hands On) Hands On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronomètre Date and Master Control Chronomètre Date Power Reserve Reviews! The Master Control Chronomètre family introduces three new models: the Chronomètre Date, the Chronomètre Date Power Reserve and, lastly, the most complicated of the three, the Chronomètre Perpetual Calendar. Jaeger-LeCoultre first introduced the Master ...
Time+Tide
Of the three new models released at Watches and Wonders, I believe there is more joy to be found in the simplest of them.
Worn & Wound
J. Press’ Vintage Watches New York Fashion Week wrapped this week, and I was lucky enough to attend a few shows, most notably J. Press, which is now under Jack Carlson’s leaderhsip. From my front-row seat, there was plenty to take in, from the Fall-Winter 2026 collection and the debut of J. Press womenswear to John Slattery from Mad Men sitting across the runway from me. But once the show started, I was more focused on the models’ wrists than anything else. For the show, Jack Carlson worked with Eric Wind and Wind Vintage, who brought a collection of 50 vintage watches to New York for Carlson to choose from. Pieces from Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Heuer, Universal Genève, Tudor, and Dunhill found their way onto the runway, selected and paired with looks throughout the collection. Now showing his second season, Carlson’s vision for the brand is coming into focus, where his knack for worldbuilding and getting the fine details perfected continue to shine through. Insta360 Luna Pro I’m going to be 35 years old in two weeks and, I have to tell you, thank God I’m not any younger. I grew up at the perfect time for being online. While I’m not a digital native, I’d say I’m a digital green card holder. I’ve been online long enough to understand the lingo, but I didn’t grow up completely immersed in the culture. Had I been, I definitely would have had a YouTube channel. And an embarrassing one at that. I would have sung on there (à la Millie Bobby Brown), tried m...
WatchAdvice
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Control Chronometre collection is a hit. Now we put the Date Power Reserve model under the microscope… What We Love Great integrated bracelet design, & a first for Jaeger-LeCoultre Super comfortable on the wrist Bridges both sports and dress watch genres easily What We Don’t No lume, so a better watch for day wear vs an all-around sports watch The bezel could be larger or have more detailing for greater balance Need a corrector tool to change the date, so it isn’t easy to do when out and about. Overall Rating: 9.25 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 Mario has had his say on the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date, but now it’s my turn, and for this review, I’m getting hands-on with the Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve. Yes, the name is a mouthful, but that is ok, I’ll forgive Jaeger-LeCoultre as this is (spoiler alert) a fantastic watch that I really had a hard time faulting. Since seeing the full collection first-hand at Watches & Wonders this year, I had been keen on trying them for a longer-term review. I do love the rose gold variants, but the sensible part of me thought it best to give the steel version a try, as this is probably the more everyday-wearing watch, and design-wise, sits nicely between the date model and the perpetual calendar. First Impressions I’ll say this. My first impressions of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronomet...
Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre once again turns its iconic Reverso Tribute into a canvas for fine art. Hailing from the manufacturer’s Métiers Rares atelier, these four new creations celebrate the Venice-inspired works of J. M. W. Turner. The watches debut at the Homo Faber Biennial exhibition, which takes place in Venice throughout September. Curated by the Michelangelo Foundation […] Visit An Artistic Homage To Venice: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Turner Series” to read the full article.
Fratello
Neo-vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre is an enthusiast’s delight. The watch that crystallized this for me is a Reverso Classique reference 252.8.86. It is a steel, manually wound example from the mid-2000s that recently crossed the block at auction. On paper, it is an unremarkable watch. No complications, no complications, and a relatively humble (for the brand) view […] Visit The Quiet Case For Neo-Vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre to read the full article.
Revolution
Fratello
If I asked you to draft a list of iconic dress watches, it probably wouldn’t take you long to come up with some answers. And it would not be unreasonable to assume that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso would be on that list. And it would not be strange to assume that it would also be one […] Visit The Best Entry-Level Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Is The Downsized Tribute Duoface Small Seconds to read the full article.
Fratello
The option of being like Thomas and picking the Rolex Explorer II for the best watch I have ever owned was tempting. I thought about it, and yes, my Explorer II 16570 “Polar” was a very good watch in many ways. But it wasn’t the best one I have ever owned. The biggest flaw? The […] Visit The Best Watch I Have Ever Owned: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Universal Time to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Welcome to the dregs and dog days of summer, and happy Friday again. I was emailing someone in Germany who informed me she'd be out of contact until her company reopened—they shut down for the first three weeks of August—and I desperately wish that idea had taken hold worldwide. Especially for those of us north of the equator, these weeks feel like they'd be best spent lounging, taking a sort of seasonal siesta, reading books (the new Tana French is phenomenal) and catching up on shows and movies (Widow's Bay, good lord). Scorekeeping last week's picks: the Wittnauer 235T ends tomorrow, the 8th, and is at $800 at the time of writing, the Blancpain sold for €20,000, and the Eberhard and Cleto Munari are both still available. Strays Photo courtesy of Tropical Watch. My apologies, Baller, for not including this Harwood automatic from the 1920s in last week's listing. While it's a tidy, tiny 30mm, Harwoods are worth paying attention to because they're some of the first automatic watches ever (Leroy beat them, apparently, as being the very first), and you'll note the thing's crownless as well, because the unmarked bezel's not a timing bezel, it's how the time was set. Congrats to whoever snagged it. If you're also more than a little ensorcelled by asymmetric watches, and this Cartier ticks all sorts of boxes (other than all the diamonds). At some point I'll find a Smiths worth giving full coverage to, but until then, this Smiths Imperial—part of a three-watch lot—is w...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Resident Evil Trailer After the success of his last two horror films, director Zach Cregger is bringing his talents to the Resident Evil franchise. Released this week, the new trailer shows Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier sent toward Raccoon City just as the T-virus outbreak begins to unfold. Given the originality of both Barbarian and Weapons, I’m curious to see how Cregger balances the source material with something wholly his own. To keep to Cregger’s talents, this might explain why Resident Evil isn’t a direct retelling of the video game, but instead an in-universe story that takes place alongside the events of Resident Evil 2. While I’m going in fairly blind for this one, I do have one hope: that Aunt Gladys has a brief cameo. The film is set to hit theaters September 18. Predicting the Weather When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with the idea of divining rods. This was mostly due to my deep conviction that I was a wizard after reading Harry Potter one summer, and because I had undiagnosed ADHD at the time. The apple tree in my backyard, which served as my wand supply, was just a bonus. In a sense, you could say I was way ahead of my time...
Hodinkee
Two months ago, I spent a Friday lunch eating a sandwich called the Crazy Poulet at Notos Bar Restaurant in Le Sentier with Mark Schmid, who is a sort of jack-of-all-trades in the marketing and communications department at Audemars Piguet. Schmid has quickly become someone I'd consider a friend, whom I appreciate for our candid conversations, his willingness (and frequency) to correct my confusion between l'accent aigu and l'accent grave in articles, and, more recently, his gastronomic suggestions. I'm sure this story will require a few more corrections from Mark, for which I apologize (mostly to him) in advance, but I wanted to share a recent experience that illustrates why I love Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, past and present. Le Sentier, pictured back in 2022 on the author's first trip to Switzerland. The town, now home to the headquarters of Jaeger-LeCoultre, was the hometown of Samuel-Olivier Meylan, the first watchmaker in the valley who began crafting timepieces around 1743 and set the stage for what is arguably the most important geographic location in watchmaking. "People ask me what I'd want to do if I didn't work at Hodinkee," I said. "Sometimes I say that I wish I could be the head of the tourism bureau for the Vallée de Joux." "Well, maybe you could be our advocate in New York," he said. "But if you came back here on a Thursday night at 4 o'clock, this place would be full. You'd hear watchmakers talking about all the things they were up to at AP, JLC, Blancp...
Hodinkee
We may not be, as Rob Thomas serenaded us way back, seven inches from the midday sun, but hoo boy, however close we are is plenty (I know, I know: 93 million miles). I hope wherever you're reading this is appreciably cooler and/or not too clogged with smoke, and for the dog owners, I hope your canine companion's finally shaken off the terror of the holiday two weeks back. Scorekeeping last week's pick, the Tudor Inter Miami Pink sold for TKTK ($19,500 currently, sells thrs), the Longines Ultra-Chron went for £440, the Jaeger chronograph sells Saturday, and both Rangers are still (implausibly—what are you waiting for?) available. Strays Photo courtesy Aletheia Subastas. If you missed the Tudor Ranger II from a bit back, here's a hell of a nice example. This Jaeger-LeCoultre is the nicest plain jane, solid gold watch I've seen in a bit, and it's powered by a P469/A, meaning you'll have a watch using the same engine that helped tens of thousands of WWII guys stay on time. This Eberhard simply looks like it'd be a fun wear, and sometimes that's plenty, and while this Edox Geoscope 42 is a bit on the complicated side, its fun factor is still real high. For those interested in flexing their maritime bona fides, here's a great-looking near-NOS Heuer Regatta from Hess Fine Art, and, in the same auction, there's also this Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 and this Mk1 Sea-Dweller ref 1665 (both from 1978, if someone's hankering to buy me a birth-year watch). Finally, here's an excellen...
Hodinkee
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from other brands amongst the spacefaring lots. It's no surprise that Buzz's Apollo 11-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional isn't present; that watch is still lost, stolen on the way to the Smithsonian after its sojourn to the moon in 1969 (and it still technically belongs to the U.S. government). Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, wearing that aforementioned lost Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.012. Image courtesy of NASA There’s a range of Omegas that are meaningful to Aldrin that he’s acquired through decades of collecting, including dive watches he relied on as an experienced scuba diver and a big box of souvenir watches. There’s no denying the man is a collector and a true watch enthusiast. Bidding is open online right now before live bidding sessions begin on July 15th in New York - here are some of the highlights. Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Image courtesy of Sotheby's This is the most interesting watch in the sale that isn’t an Omega: Aldrin’s JLC Shar...
Time+Tide
Our roving reporter in Melbourne discovered Jaeger-LeCoultre's incredible "Valley of Inventions" exhibition, and here's what he found
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