How is Easter at Jaeger Lecoultre? A retrospective on chocolate dials.

amanico

We have discussed colored dials very often. Blue, of course, Red, sometimes, Green rarely, Grey, lately, but what about Brown?

Immediately, when it comes to brown dials, vintage come to mind. Brown because the black dials turned into this color with the " work of time ", what we less poetically call " patina ".

Here are some gorgeous examples:

1/ The Deep Sea Alarm.

From Caramel ( Credit picture: Our dear Karmin )

To Milk Chocolate ( Credit picture Artcurial )
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Or Chocolate:

The European version is no bad, at that game:

2/ The Polaris:

I saw dials turning to Brown only in Polaris 1968, not Polaris 1965. Don't ask me why, I couldn't say...

Here are some fine examples:

Bill's dark chocolate:

Another one seen in Paris some 10 years ago:

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A lighter chocolate hue, belonging to Bill, once again:

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3/ Jaeger Lecoultre automatic P 476:

I've also seen watches turning to brown but whose dials were blue. One example, the Memovox E 875. Here a specimen which allows you to see the discoloration. ( Credit Picture: Bachmann, I think )

Now, let's see some watches which originally came with a brown dial.

1/ Memovox:

- The Ref E 855 Brown Scale Dial:

2/ Reverso:

Here is a superb specimen I could take in picture, some years ago, and which belongs to the Jaeger Lecoultre Heritage Gallery.

Brown has also been chosen for some modern Jaeger Lecoultre, in a more confidential way than other colors, I must say.

1/ The very elusive Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar Enamel Guilloché Chestnut, for the 2019 Watch Only Edition:

2/ The Rendez Vous Night and Day Boutique Edition:

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3/ The Master Grande Ultra Thin " Champagne " may qualify as a very light brown:

4/ The Master Ultra Thin Jubilée 38 mm:

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5/ The Reverso Tribute Alfons Mucha, with this gorgeous enamel guilloché dial:

6/ And the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Chocolate:

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There might be a few others, but they don't come to my mind, right now.

One thing is certain, as you can see, brown has not been abusively used by Jaeger Lecoultre, and I am sure there is some place for other models!

Best.

Nicolas

Comments:

Horology75 April 13th, 2020-01:21

Greetings ! And now Iam gonna have a wet Monday by thinking about these beauties !

amanico April 13th, 2020-01:22

Merci, mon ami.

Reuven Malter April 13th, 2020-01:59

Superb report. Thank you! The first 3 pieces are amazing. I wish the new models would build a patina as well.

amanico April 13th, 2020-03:23

Aah, the patina of new models... That's a question I had in my mind...

Reuven Malter April 13th, 2020-03:34

Maybe the Tribute deep sea could build patina? Or the new aluminium dialed omega bond watch? What do you think?

amanico April 13th, 2020-03:38

Tribute Deep Sea Alarm... That would be very cool. Who knows.

Reuven Malter April 13th, 2020-03:50

Maybe we will know when you take it with you on your next few summer vacations. No message body

amanico April 13th, 2020-04:00

I don't miss an opportunity to take it with me during summer... But since 2011, the dial didn't move...

Reuven Malter April 13th, 2020-04:03

Nicolas, one more question Do you trust that watch to go swimming with it?

amanico April 13th, 2020-04:04

Yes. No fear about that. It stood the tests with brio during every summer since 2012 as I got it in Sept 2011.

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Fastwong

Covid-19 means it's rubber strap time!

Fastwong

After lots of hand washing and cooking while locked down in NYC these last few days I finally dug up the rubber strap for the EL2. This strap is awesome! I can't believe I never even took it out of the bag until now 🙄. This is how luxury rubber straps should be done. The biggest surprise is that the straps are vented! The rubber has recesses in the underside that vent out the sides of the strap, wow.

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