Jaeger-LeCoultre Amvox 2 Gen 1 Black PVD Review

chikai168 shares his journey to acquiring the Jaeger-LeCoultre Amvox 2 Generation 1 Black PVD, detailing his evolving appreciation for its innovative design and technical prowess. His post meticulously breaks down the features that define the Amvox 2 for him, from the unique vertical chronograph trigger to the distinct aesthetic of the black PVD case. This personal account offers valuable insights into the nuances of choosing a specific Amvox 2 reference.

Hi,

I started to get really interested in mechanical watches and horology about three to four years ago. (Before that I spent more of my time with the other important W's in life- wine and women! LOL) I have always regarded JLC highly and a couple of years ago, I bought a Reverso Grande GMT. I have always been aware of the Amvox family but they never really appealed to me back then. It was only as I began to mature "horologically" that I started to really see what an amazing piece and concept the Amvox 2 is! First off, the Calibre 751 which cannot be faulted at this price point. Second and more importantly, how the "vertical" trigger for the control of the chronograph was achieved is simply “cool”!

I was at first particularly enamoured by the open-dial DBS version. Whilst I have and like more classical looking pieces, I love open-worked and skeletonised watches. Plus being a Concept watch, open-dials seems more befitting. I was in touch with a vendor for the DBS but it fell through.... perhaps it was fate but after spending more time studying the various Amvox pieces, it seemed that the this version was not was I am looking for. Whilst some members feel it is a legibility issue, it was not for me. At 33, thankfully my vision is still pretty good! The dial seemed too dark and the lines created were not as masculine and "timeless" as the Gen 1. After the deal fell through, I started to look at other versions.

I was still leaning more towards the Gen 2 open dial as from the photos, Gen 1 seemed a bit “dated” in comparison. The racing editions that Nico photographed really interested me. Somehow , the colour scheme suited the Aston Martin, motorsport and Concept watch themes really well. However, as our Dear Moderator puts it, these versions “take the Concept to its limits". If I was only to have one version of the Amvox 2, this might not be the most versatile choice. (Now it’s a different story if I was to have several versions!) 

I looked at the Stainless Steel version and whilst it is a nice looking watch, it seemed that the Amvox 2 DNA was “lost” on it and I did not know why…… (Pus it looked quite similar to my Nicholas Rieussec) Something kept drawing me back to the Gen 1 and the Racing….. 
 
Finally, it hit me what "defined" the Amvox 2 for me- the brightly coloured brake-like levers, strong masculine yet refined dials lines that matches the cars and the light-coloured numeral ring that reminds me of a car's speedometer when the engine is on. Both the Gen 1 and the Racing editions have these attributes but the DBS titanium and steel do not! Enter the Generation 1, Black PVD edition!  I was concerned that the Gen 1 may look a bit "dated" compared to the open-dials but how wrong I was. Once I had it in my hands, the multi-layered dial is fresh and dynamic. The way lights play on the different elements of the dial is also very alluring. I do not have large wrists but fortunately, it is quite flat. I was concerned that the might look big on me. That is another reason I choose the Black PVD because it focuses attention onto the dial, rather than the whole watch and makes it smaller. Plus, the black case also makes the titanium bezel “light up”, creating that speedometer/ dashboard feel I mentioned earlier. Whilst I do not normally go for black or PVD cases, I feel that as a Concept watch, PVD suits the theme.

Please excuse my poor iPhone photos…… photography is not my strong point! The watch has been pretty much on my wrist all week and I think that the new strap I put on makes it look a little less bulky. I am really glad I went with this. The Amvox 2 Gen 1 really is something and my vote is that it will be an icon in years to come. And thank you to Nicolas and the others here who have given me so many pointers these past couple of months on the watch.

Finally, I would like to say what a great community Purist Pro is. I have been a lurker (with the odd posts usually asking some question!) for quite some time. This is by far one of the friendliest, most knowledge and gentlemanly (or lady-like for any female Purists!) forums out there.

Best wishes,
Chi Kai

(some photos with my Reverso Grande GMT. Apologies for the layout but I seem to be only able to post pics at the end of my post rather than be able to insert them through-out the text.)