JLC Triple Date Moonphase Cal.494/A 1945

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Perhaps the most interesting, creative and adventurous of all the major high-end watchmakers, Jaeger-LeCoultre, founded in 1833, has had an incredibly inventive history, developing over 1,250 mechanical calibres, registering over 400 Patents and playing a tremendous role in the development of the industry as a whole. Whether it is the keyless watch, Calibre 101, the iconic Reverso or the Memovox alarm, it would be difficult to imagine a historical account of watchmaking without the mention of Jaeger-LeCoultre. The company has always been a true ‘Manufacturer’ of the finest quality watch movements. This is unusual because more often than not, high-end brands such as Rolex, Patek Phillippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin would often buy in movements for particular needs. For example, in 1967 when Patek Phillippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin needed an ultra-thin automatic movement, it was to Jaeger-LeCoultre they turned, to produce one for them. Furthermore, the exquisite Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 920, is still in production and in use today by both Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet.

Description

Here we have an outstanind Jaeger-LeCoultre Triple Date Moonphase, in stainless steel from 1945 – and what a beguiling work of art this timepiece is – and so easy to fall in love with!

In common with Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Omega and Longines, vintage Triple Date Moonphase watches of this period each adopted very similar designs for their dials. And while you may pay £20,000+ for the vintage Rolex triple date moonphase version, the Jaeger-LeCoultre watch here has a movement which is at least on par, for a small fraction of the price.

The Dial

The rare, original, unrestored and untouched off-white dial is in top grade condition. The light reflects against the off-white dial wonderfully and complements the mixed, applied pink gilt ‘arrowhead’ hour indices and ‘3 – 6 – 9 – 12’ standard Arabic numerals and original pink gilt ‘dauphine’ hands. The silver sweep date hand features a red arrowhead on the very end which frames the day of the month perfectly. The outer date track in red, which looks superb against the off-white dial and stainless steel case. The day of the week and month are also shown in red in English which are perfectly placed in the top half of the dial with the moonphase in the bottom half of the dial, all of these incredible features mentioned above are framed by an outer minute railtrack. Simply Stunning!

Setting this watch is very simple and straightforward. Setting the day of the week is done first. This is achieved by rotating the hands until the correct day is shown. The month is then set via a small pusher on the edge of the case at 2 o’clock. The date of the month is then set via a pusher at 4 o’clock. Finally, the moon phase is set via a pusher at 8 o’clock. An important point to remember is never to advance any of these functions while the hour hand is anywhere close to the number 12, as this can harm the movement. Another point to note is that the month does not auto advance at the end of each month. This is done manually. As long as one remembers these points, the watch will perform faithfully and reliably.

The dial is simply signed ‘Jaeger-LeCoultre’ below 12.

Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided in this case, due to its unique condition, to retain its originality and charm for the many collectors who prefer this. This watch has a clean original dial with a very even patina. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you see here may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

The watch is complete with its all original ultra-high quality, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 494/A hand-wound, triple date moonphase movement. This movement is very highly regarded as one of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s highest quality hand-wound calibres. Indeed, it qualifies as one of the best hand-wound watch movements ever produced.

The movement has been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker. This involves completely dismantling the movement to each of its component parts, ultrasonic cleaning, microscope inspection and replacement of parts as required. only with new JLC originals, then careful reassembly and oiling ready for final testing and careful calibration. As can be seen in the images, the movement is in superb sparking condition.

This watch is now running perfectly having been calibrated and timed at +8 seconds per day which is truly outstanding for any watch of this age! The watch has a runtime of 55 hours from its fully wound state which shows the movement is particularly strong and running well within expected parameters. It is now ready for many more decades of faithful service and we are therefore more than happy to offer this watch with our 12 months’ warranty and to assist with servicing again in around three years time.

The movement is signed ‘Jaeger-LeCoultre’, ‘Swiss’ with the calibre number 494/A along with the movement serial number 352002.

*Note – The 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

The three-piece stainless steel case measures a large 36mm in diameter, excluding the correct unsigned winding crown.

The case, as we would expect from JLC, is very solid and well made and the press-fit case-back closes with a very solid and satisfying ‘pop’, indicating the case has been impeccably built and maintained. It is of full-thickness and has never been engraved.

Having been cleaned, carefully examined and lightly hand-polished by our case-maker, the case is totally immaculate, being very crisp with no scratches, dings or other blemishes visible to the naked eye. This, along with the superb general condition of the rest of the watch, indicates this watch has received an excellent level of care and only light use.

On the exterior of the case back is signed with the case serial number 342010.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A high quality burgundy leather strap has been fitted, along with a plain stainless steel buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of straps if you wish here.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1945.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided, along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

This watch comes complete with a high quality hardwood presentation box, as shown in the photographs.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

This is a very impressive vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre triple date moonphase wristwatch, which is ready to wear and very practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this watch will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece. JLC has always benefitted from a first class reputation for the superb quality of their watch movements and just as in the case of Longines, which have been undervalued in the past, this is beginning to show in the way JLC watches are increasing in value.

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We, therefore, consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage watches.

Thank you.