Dreams rarely
happen to realize! Dreams are the wishes we don't expect to see
fulfilled. Dreams are essential to our motivation in life as they let us hope!
Sometimes things
don't happen in life. They should or they could but they just don't
happen. Sometimes as things don't seem to happen you end up seeing their
possibility as dreams.
Sometimes you
end up defining as dreams things that are not the stuff of real dreams, as if
you were giving up, trying to convince yourself that you don't deserve
them to happen, you can' t get them to happen. But they are not dreams,
they don't have this grandeur.
Still they are
great moments in life, as they sometimes happen. So here is what happened to me
in late December.
I've said
here several times that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic was my watch grail.
In july last
year I was very close to get a Geophysic and missed it. jlc.watchprosite.com
I then
sincerely thought that it would remain a dream.
I owe to my
friend Nicolas to have given me hope in the fall, letting me hope that my time
would come.
In fact my time
came in late December, thanks to Nicolas.
A week only
before Christmas I had for once a good reason to believe in the existence of
Santa Claus, or at least its spirit, what is the most important.
But let's
stop writing about me and begin the covering of our subject. The
Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic is one of those best kept secrets that is less and
less secret each year, many watch fans being converted by the faith of the
early lovers.
Nicolas, i.e.
Amanico, already covered excellently the subject of the Geophysic and I
won't try to do it again.
Still I want to
remind you what I see as the essential characteristics of the Geophysic to
share with you my vision of the watch.
In my opinion
the Geophysic is the epitomy of an era of watchmaking by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
has long been a provider of high end calibres for the most prestigious watch
makers. At the same time Jaeger-LeCoultre has also produced watches under its
own name. The shift from calibres to watches has been slowly progressive and
the Great House still provides a few calibres to other companies, although this
activity has become really secondary now, especially in terms of image as we
tend to forget the calibre maker behind the manufacture watchmaker.
The Geophysic
was launched in 1958 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the house
and the Geophysical year. This double reference has defined the watch.
The main asset
of the watch is its calibre. The calibre reference P478B/WSbr is the most
evolved (JLC) version of a traditional work horse that has equipped the best
Jaeger-LeCoultre watches in the forties and fifties, but also the watches of
Vacheron Constantin. It is also the same base that has inspired Philippe Dufour
for its Simplicity calibre. It is in fact in my opinion the best wrist calibre
incarnation of the Vallee de Joux style of watchmaking.
After 1958 and
this calibre version P478B/WSbr the wrist watch calibres development by
Jaeger-LeCoultre has been more focused on automatic calibres and there has been
no comparable calibre made by Jaeger-LeCoultre so far after it, even if the
company has made many very appealing calibres including some of its
characteristics, but never all of them.
So what are the
characteristics? It is a hand wound central seconds wrist watch calibre with a
hacking function, a Breguet end curve spiral, a swan neck regulator, and a
traditional bridge design. The closest modern calibre is the Richard Lange
calibre, even if differently designed.
The given
characteristics are not just the top notch signs of traditional watchmaking at
that time, and consequently an homage to the 125years of experience
of the company. They are also the necessary ways to celebrate the Geophysical
year. Scientists need extreme precision and the chosen definition is aimed at
precision.
A precise watch
must be regulated, hence the large compensated balance, the swan neck regulator
and the Breguet end curve spiral.
A precise watch
should set to the second, hence the hacking function.
A precise watch
should be readable and the reading should be precise, hence the central seconds
(and the pure and clear design of the dial).
You can see
above and below the large curved lever that stops the balance and hacks the
watch. The hacking lever is activated through the crown. Pull the crown and the
balance stops.
You can also
see below that the calibre fills the case. There is just the space between the
calibre and the case for the soft iron inner case that gives the watch its
antimagnetic status.
In fact the
watch extends its coherence from the superb calibre to the case. Made for
scientists it is built as a safe.
The watch is
antimagnetic, to preserve scientists from getting rid of their watch during
experiments.
The watch is
also waterproof, partly thanks to its screwed back. A Geophysic was offered to
the commanders of the US
submarines who attained the North Pole in 1958.
Please have a
look there: jlc.watchprosite.com
You will see
many documents about the career of the Geophysic.
Another aspect
that is totally coherent with the definition of the watch is the finish of the
parts. The bridges are very nicely angled, the parts are nicely finished but
without any superfluous decoration. No Geneva
waves on a watch symbolizing the best of the Vallee de Joux! This watch is made
for scientists, is a tool and it is not a piece of luxury.
If you wanted a
decorated watch calibre you could get a Vacheron Constantin Chronometre Royal
but this is not the spirit of the Geophysic. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic was
and still is a top notch tool perfectly designed and marking the end of an era.
Soon after it the watch precision was symbolized by quartz watches.
To some extent
this watch is in its way a "metre etalon" of the traditional construction
of mechanical wrist watches, without any unnecessary additives.
As you can
imagine I'm immensely happy to finally own and wear a Geophysic, because it
perfectly offers me what I love in horology.
Geophysic, what
else?
Cheers
Dje
ps: Thank you Nicolas, you're my Santa Claus this year!