For sale we have an exceptional example of an Art Deco pocket watch, from a quality manufacturer. Jaeger-LeCoultre created some of the finest examples of Art Deco timepieces during the 1920s and 30s. This example dates to 1932 and is a very slim and sleek Art Deco design with its stylised loop and crown. It has a matte black sector dial with Radium painted Arabic numerals. The white painted Lance hands stand out. Inside the slim calibre 415 manual wind movement is in excellent condition.
Every aspect of this pocket watch was clearly considered to be aesthetically enjoyable, in line with the Art Deco period.
The crown is slightly elongated to match the loop design. The loop is beautifully stylised and is original. These aspects are flanked by two notched sections to protect the crown and secure the loop.
The case is Stainless Steel and is very slim at 10mm in depth. It has a polished circular bezel which falls away from the dial gently. This gives way to the notched central section of the case, creating an appealing texture. The Stainless Steel case back has a polished finish. It is designed with a flat circular face with a bevelled exterior falling to meet the centre section of the case. The inside of the caseback is signed Acier Inoxydable Fab Suisse, with the serial number 197499. It has a circular grained finish.
The exceptional sector dial has a neat layout of concentric circles, with a matte black base tone. The outside of the dial has a clear railroad track for the minutes. The hour markers are contained within a circular band with thick white boarders. The Arabic numerals are white with radium lume in-fill which has aged to a beautiful, even pumpkin tone. The dial is signed Jaeger-LeCoultre Fabrique En Suisse below 12 O’clock, with Swiss at the foot of the dial. The sub-second dial is neatly inset into the dial.
The hands are original of Lance style with luminous in-fill. The Luminous paint has been replaced with a modern version. The hands have the original white paint which has aged and collected dirt.
The movement is a Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 415. It is a slim movement, with high quality touches. The beautiful finger bridges with polished bevelled edges, the perlage finishing under the balance, the underslung ratchet wheel. This is a very aesthetically pleasing movement. The movement is in very good condition for its age, both cosmetically and functionally. The pocket watch had been serviced by its previous owner. It has a daily gain of +7 seconds a day.
Overall this is a beautiful Art Deco pocket watch from Jaeger Le-Coultre, in great condition, making it an ideal collectors piece.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial is in exceptional original condition. It has a black base tone with a matte finish, that is even in texture and colour. It is a sector dial with its neat layout of concentric circles.
The outside of the dial has a clear railroad track for the minutes. The hour markers are contained within a circular band with thick white boarders. The Arabic numerals are white with radium lume in-fill. This has aged to a beautiful, even pumpkin tone. The dial is signed Jaeger-LeCoultre Fabrique En Suisse below 12 O’clock, with Swiss at the foot of the dial. The sub-second dial is neatly inset into. The dial and is very clear with Arabic numerals for the 10 second graduations.
Hands:
The hands are original of Lance style with luminous in-fill. The Luminous paint has been replaced with a modern version. The tone is therefore light than that of the numerals. The hands have the original white paint which has aged and collected dirt.
The sub-second hand is original. The original white painted finish has collected dirt with age.
Glass:
The crystal is a modern replacement. It has a couple of very light spotted marks.
Crown and loop:
The crown is original and is in very good condition. It is slightly elongated to match the loop design. The loop is beautifully stylised and is original. It is in good condition with light surface scratching.
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in very good original condition. There are some very small marks to the right-hand side on the notched middle case section. There is light surface scratching consistent with age.
Caseback:
The case back is formed of Stainless Steel and is in very good condition for its age. There are no dents or unsightly marks, it has only light surfacing scratching.
Inside of caseback:
The inside of the caseback is signed Acier Inoxydable Fab Suisse, with the serial number 197499. It has a circular grained finish. It is in very good condition with service etchings.
Movement:
The movement is a Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 415, which measures 40mm diameter and has a beat rate of 18,000 bph. It is a slim movement, with high quality touches.
The movement is in very good condition for its age, both cosmetically and functionally. The pocket watch had been serviced by its previous owner. It has a daily gain of +7 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 275 and a beat error of 0.8m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 47mm
Case length: 47mm
Case length with loop: 58mm
Case length with crown: 51mm
Case Depth: 10.5mm