Jaeger-LeCoultre

Well, my friend, a pleasure for me to welcome you here, with such a nice present!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

I spoke today with E.V, and yes, all is fine for you...

You have amil, BTW!

Best.

Nicolas

this excited about a watch in a very long time...the Boutique edition looks fantastic, i am very happy that JLC decided to silver up the numbers on the bezel...made the watch perfect...and elegant for a sport watch and the 68 is a classic in every sense of the word...

I cant wait for the 65 to land... and even possibly the 68...LOL ....

Your pictures are true inspirations....

Cheers

Mark

 

The Mare? LOLOL

How I understand you, my friend.

For the '65, no problem, mark.

But you'd better hurry up for the 68...

Thanks for your nice words!

Best.

Nicolas

I'm really hapy for you that you finaly got your babies. Wear them in happy days. They both look gorgeous. We should celebrate them, shouldn't we?

 

 

Cheers my friend!!!

Sincerely

Ahmet

 

ROFL...

I'm a bit destroyed today...LOL

I can admit that now, I'm in peace for a very long time...And My Banker too! LOL

Best.

Nicolas

Here, the 2 New Polarises together!





And then, the 68 Original, and the 68 Re Edition:



Best.

Nicolas

Straps...

What do you think the strap options will be from JLC on these...

Mark

For the ' 68 ( Painted indexes ), I'd choose a 22 mm Tan Strap, in Calf, to match with the indexes, or a Cognac one...

Ala Paneristi...LOL

For The '65, the best of the best would be a kind of Pastore black calf strap, again ala Paneristi...

As the buckle can be taken off the strap, it won't be difficult to find this kind of strap, IMO....

Best!

Nicolas

Really want to see one 1965 edition in flesh. Cannot wait longer .....

 

As I see that your pic is from today...

Best.

Nicolas

1965 in flesh one day ....

The color of the indexes of the new one is very close to the Patina of this Old Toy...

Best!

Nicolas

I find that faked patina a little disturbing. It looks just that, fake and mismatched with lume on the hands.

A couple of questions concerning the re-editions:

1) Do they use plexi crystals?

2) How faithfully does the case construction match the original EPSA case?

Still, lovely watches, new or old.

If you have a look on the Vintage Polaris, you will see that most of them are non matching, as the coloro of the indexes is not exactly the same than the color of the hands...

But I agree that the non matching on this one is stronger than the original, obviously.

Is it a good or a bad thing?

It depends of each one's taste, I believe...

A watch to be seen in the flesh, to know if it is good or not.

For me, it is a nice thing, but it's only my personal opinion.

As for your other questions:

1/ The case is faithful to the original.

2/ Yes, the new Polaris uses a big domed cplexy.

Wait a bit, my friend, I'm ending my review...

Best.

Nicolas

Hi Nicolas,

Thanks for the reply.

The problem is that the difference in lume is unlikely in a brand new (original) Polaris. For sure, hands and dials do have a tendency to fade or discolour in different manners, but not as presented on a new watch. Hence my comment re: patina. (It gets worse on some vintage/classic cars, where the patina is completely destroyed during restoration, only to be painstakingly 'reproduced' after completion. That's why I prefer the (overused) phrase Wabi Sabi...it has to be real)

In the course of your enquiries, is it possible to see if you can unearth any further information on the case construction? The external features of the case are, of course, faithful to the original.

But my real interest lies in how faithfully the watch replicates the EPSA cases, particularly the internal bezel Super Compressors which have an interesting (and frustrating, if you are trying to reassemble) construction whereby the bezel float is controlled by the lower flange of the crystal.

Also of interest is the layout of the pinion gear that drives the rack of the internal bezel.

And lastly, are you (or any of the other purists) aware of whether the bayonet style caseback is used on any of these EPSA style reissues - from JLC, Longines, etc?

 

Please BLDJ, may you be a bit clearer with me, as I don't understand very well what you really want ( my poor english )...

What do you mean about bainoet style case back?

Are you serious when you want to know the layout of the pinino gear that drives the rack of the internal bezel?

As for the patina, have a look on the greenish IWC Aquatimer, a real nive watch a bit killed by this green lumi...

And you will get how an ugly Luminova can quite kill a watch...

Best.

Nicolas

Hi Nicolas,

On the old EPSA cases, instead of a screw-in caseback, the caseback was an approx. 1/4 turn to lock down on the o-ring. Three slots on the caseback engage with 3 tabs on the case itself.

Concering the pinion: One of the drawbacks of the old cases was that the depth of the crystal as loaded into the case determines how much float the internal bezel has. The problem as I understand it, with this arrangement is that too much depth can put radial load on the shaft of the upper (2 o'clock) crown. I think this is why so many compressors have an incorrect 2 o'clock crown - the shaft has broken and the crown has been lost (pure speculation). It would be interested to see what IWC have done here.

These old cases are fascinating (after all, look who used them...) but information is scarce. Crystals are as difficult to find as orginal hash-marked crowns, so I dare not delve too far into my watches to understand futher.

All the above wouid be instantly answered if a cross-section of the watch is available. Have you seen any?

(by the way, I agree with the Green Lume on the IWC, it's just that artificial patina also detracts from a watch, particularly a watch like a Polaris that is near, in my eyes, to perfect: The right amount of complication (actually useful: alarm and elapsed time), the water-resistance, the legibility, the history...etc)

Thanks again,

BDLJ

 

As for Compressor Cases, There were:

The Polaris, the Vulcain Nautical, the Universal Geneve Polerouter Sub, and the Longines Diver...

These are the 4 which come immediately to my mind, which used the Piquerez Patent, registered in 1956.

As for Technical Datas you requested, I have to confess that I have to ask, and I will...

Wait for my review, my friend, you will have some deeper infos, I'm trying to end it, but it's an heavy work...

Best.

Nicolas

This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-11-26 23:15:46

No rush.

Any info on the EPSA cases is interesting, underwater alarm or not.

 

 

Hi,
I've had and worked on several original Polaris - this case is not a Bayonet style design - it's a snap on design.
As indicated by the two notches in the case at 12 and 6 o'clock position and the two "ears" on the case back part (the "base" case back, not the resonator/isolator part).
BTW, the original 8xx cal. movement simply didn't allow for any sort of case back which would require even slight twists - or turning. The non centric case back  "pin" for the   alarm hammer would kill the movement - as it would interfer with many vital parts of the movement when beeing turned. That's the reason you don't find any "real" screw back design with the old memovox  caliber (besides those with a screw ring around a static case back).
This of course changed when JLC fitted the rotor automatic part to the base movement and redesigned the
contact point for the alarm hammer to the center.
Any corrections and further info very much appreciated, as always....

BTW, I don't know  anything about  the re-issue  though....

Best regards
Suitbert

The pin in the case back for the alarm...I forgot about that.

I have been playing with a Vulcain Cricket recently, so the requirement for non-twisting caseback should have occured to me.

I guess, then, that the bayonet question can be shifted to the Longines and the IWC... Anyone know?

 

Suitbert,

In your restorations of these vintage cases, can you comment at all about the upper crown "weakness" or is it in my head?

Also what is the calibre # for the auto alarm? I am interested in the central pin placement through the rotor.

... Nicolas.  I wish you many years of enjoyment in good health.  I cannot wait to get mine.

We'll have to organize a World Wide Polaristi GTG, my friend!!!

Thanks for your very nice words!

Best.

Nicolas

must have



now

Hey, My Impatient friend...

We are a lot, here to have wait for many months, not to say ...Years, before getting it!

LOLOL

You will only wait a few weeks before putting it on your wrist...

If you can't really wait, the only sloution I see is to dorp an email to the JLC Paris Boutique...

And to check with them if there still is one available...

Hot, Hot, Hot, my friend!!!

best.

Nicolas

but i will sit and wait... hopefully before christmas.... would be very swell to wear on holiday

do you have any profile pictures showing thickness/shape of crystal? This message has been edited by rijowysock on 2008-11-22 09:33:19

is actually very nice... although i will more than likely have a tan leather strap made for it, with holes ofcourse... and then have it distressed to make it darker like the indexes.... could be a nice weekend project...

why do i even come here.. lol.. nothing but torture for a man without patience..

its like your holding me outside the strip club... windows tinted i care almost see in... but am not inside..

sent my AD 3 emails just now.. telling him to call me immediately when they come in... he is VERY large JLC AD so i also asked him to put some pressure on JLC NA. lol. long time ago i had same feelings for a new breitling and amazingly i got mine 4 months before it even came out.. so we'll see what he can pull..

side thought...

the crystal is infact plexi? i had thought i read in previous post of yours saying it was sapphire but still bulbous to appear plexi?

maybe i had read wrong, i hope it is plexi... nothing better than taking a watch with plexi and throwing it in your pocket with keys and loose change and going for a run... as when you get back and take some toothpaste to it... the crystal with all the scratches now distorting the dial=sublime!

Another plexy in the box...

In case of necessity...

LOL