Jaeger-LeCoultre

mjnoumoff
1124

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Depends on the Goals of the Company

Patek does make some rather incredible movements but as a whole I do not personally find them as innovative and unusual as JLC. One of Patek's goals is to maintain that Patek-aura in even their most simple movements, thereby justifying a price tag of approx $20k for even a Calatrava. Despite this aura, at my age I cannot justify that amount of money for a relatively simple watch.

People chuckle when the day/date of their relatively new perpetual calendar Patek watch (ex. 5146) does not properly change and it must spend a few months at Henri Stern agency. Patek ownership seems similar to the frequent maintenance visits that a Ferrari owner encounters with his handcrafted automotive beauty! Part of the ownership experience somehow also includes these maintenance issues. I see Jaeger as a high end watch company with dependable, strong and innovative movements, maybe like a Porsche. The company is innovative but its top priority does not appear to be in maintaining that aura of being am unbelievably austere manufacture, where only the finest customers are allowed to be considered worthy of purchasing a new model. Some of the Porsche models cost far less than a Ferrari, but some cost well above most Ferrari costs (Carrera GT). Porsche service like JLC service is not cheap, but at the same time frequent maintenance is usually not required to keep these beauties properly operating.

I think the PP 5070 is an interesting watch but personally do not see all the allure to that basic chronograph. I would rather have a more complicated and unusual JLC. JLC appears to be the type watch company that constantly works hard to develop cutting innovation in their movements; whether in complication, durability and/or size. I was looking for a mechanical alarm watch and selected a JLC Master Compressor Memovox for its appearance, sportiness, and the prestigious name of JLC. Patek seems like too fragile a watch-brand to not be handled in an area where everyone is wearing some short of formal attire!!

I have handled a good number of Pateks since I became interested in watches 10 years ago and through my eyes, I do not find their movements to be so incredible relative to JLC. Honestly is a PP Minute Repeater somehow superior to a JLC Minute Repeater?

JLC caters to a much larger market than Patek but regardless of which model one selects, whether $2,000 or $200,000, JLC provides an excellent product that the new owner can be sure JLC is proud to have released; without the need to apply to purchase that timepiece!!!