An absolutely fabulous gentlemans' 10 carat gold filled Futurematic wrist watch made by Jaeger LeCoultre, dating to 1951, in great original un-restored condition. The case and dial present very well indeed and the freshly oiled and adjusted movement is running strongly and keeping time. A new good quality strap has just been fitted and the crystal was replaced recently so this watch is ready to wear.
The Futurematic is one of the most collectible and innovative models manufactured by this famous company and probably second only to the Reverso in their vintage model range . Even today it looks futuristic and when I list one for sale, it always attracts considerable interest. The watch displays a chronograph style dial with two registers, a power reserve indicator and a seconds dial. The case houses an automatic “bumper” movement, especially designed for the Futurematic model. Jaeger LeCoultre was so confident about the quality of this new movement that the company decided not to spoil the aesthetics of the watch by adding a crown. Instead it has a disc on the back cover which slides inwards to set the time.
This model is, in my opinion the most visually stunning Futurematic with its elegant long curved lugs, highly sought after by collectors. This watch will most certainly be noticed when worn. Look at the photographs, showing off the elegant curved lugs and the attractive black enamel dial. The power reserve is fully functional. The complicated movement also has a function which automatically stops the watch from winding when it is fully wound to reduce wear to the mechanism. And when the watch is nearly run down and is not being worn, it will hold a small power reserve so that when it is picked up it will run for a few hours without further winding. The dial displays a chronograph style dial with two registers, a power reserve indicator and a seconds dial.
A watch with a “bumper” movement is always in demand from collectors. If you look at the photographs you can see that the rotor does not turn continuously through 360 degrees but bounces back and forth through around 300 degrees. Older Omega watches also had this type of movement. These two companies probably manufactured more bumper watches than any other watchmaker. This watch is correctly signed by the manufacturer in three places, on the dial, case and movement.
As with all of my watches, authenticity is backed by a full money refund guarantee. I have been collecting vintage watches for over thirty years and selling them as an enjoyable lifestyle occupation since 2003. I have consistently received excellent feedback and many repeat buyers. Customer satisfaction is very important to me so if you do have any problems please get in touch. I will always do my best to help. I often assist customers who ask for my help several years after they have purchased a watch from me; so once you have bought a watch, you will remain an important customer. You can email me to ask any questions.
Please scroll down to see more photos and details.
Dial: factory original, finished in black enamel and signed “LeCoultre Futurematic Swiss". It has an outer minutes chapter with the power reserve indicator located at the 9
Case: 10K gold filled in very good condition, measuring approximately 35 mm across and 45 mm from lug to lug. The inside of the case is signed LeCoultre". There are the expected signs of use over the years but no signs of abuse, dents, scratches of any significance that I could see to highlight.
Movement: high quality cal. 497 17 jewel automatic bumper movement, signed “LeCoultre Co”, freshly oiled and adjusted by Richard my watchmaker running perfectly and keeping time. The bumper unit is an early automatic movement, first seen in watches in the late 1940's, with many Jaeger LeCoultre and Omega watches housing them up to the mid 1950's. Unlike the modern rotors which sit on top of the mechanism and rotate through 360 degrees, the bumper rotor rotates through a little over 300 degrees, hits a sprung stop which cushions the impact of the hammer action and helps sends the rotor to swing back to a stop on the other side of the movement. It should be "kick started" when first used by shaking the watch back and forth gently for a few minutes. You will see the power reserve indicator moving out of the red as the watch winds. When it is fully wound the watch will automatically stop winding. Older automatics are not as efficient as modern day mechanisms, (and we tend to lead more sedentary lives than 68 years ago). Therefore, depending on how much use and movement the watch receives when worn, it may need manual winding from time to time by shaking the watch back and forth it for a couple of minutes or so . Strap: fitted with a new black leather lizard grain strap which fitted to the watch measures approximately 212 mm from buckle tip to last hole.
Jaeger LeCoultre Watch Co.
I am sometimes asked why some Jaeger LeCoultre watches are signed LeCoultre. This has much to do with the complex United States duty regulations that made it more cost effective to import Jaeger LeCoultre movements, dials, crowns and hands into the USA from Switzerland and for the cases to be manufactured in the States. In the 1950’s the Longines Wittnauer group was the distributor of LeCoultre watches and Vacheron & Constantin watches sold in North America. The Longines Wittnauer group did not manufacture Jaeger LeCoultre watches as some people mistakenly believe, the movements were produced in the Swiss Jaeger LeCoultre factory at Le Sentier and were identical in every way to movements distributed within Europe other than the LeCoultre markings on the watch. The cases were manufactured under licence in the United States and were marked "Cased and Timed in the USA by LeCoultre". In approximately 1985 the brand name "Jaeger LeCoultre" was adopted worldwide.
Some people believe that because LeCoultre movements are signed "VXN" on the bridge (denoting Vacheron & Constantin), they were manufactured by Vacheron & Constantin. This is incorrect. Jaeger LeCoultre supplied movements to Vacheron & Constantin, which were used in their watches but not vice versa. The only collaboration that ever took place between these two prestigious watchmakers was the "Galaxy" diamond dial model. The Galaxy was marketed by both companies; with the case marked "Vacheron & Constantin - LeCoultre Inc." and the dial signed "LeCoultre".
A more comprehensive explanation of these often mis-understood issues is provided in the excellent text book “Jaeger LeCoultre a Guide for the Collector” by Zaf Basha.
For those who are interested in the history of famous watchmakers, the Jaeger LeCoultre watch company is one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers. Antoine LeCoultre opened a small factory in Le Sentier in 1833 where current factory remains. LeCoultre quickly built a reputation for quality and precision, so much so that he became the leading supplier of movements to the watch making industry in Switzerland. In 1925 Antoine’s grandson, David, merged the company with that of Edmond Jaeger, which is when the current day company, Jaeger LeCoultre came into existence. It is one of the few Swiss companies still producing its own movements, cases, dials and bracelets. This gives the company total control over the quality and precision of its watches and is a contributory factor for it being one of the small number of elite watchmakers with a world wide reputation for quality and precision. Jaeger LeCoultre has been one of the most innovative watchmakers in the world, having produced a number of revolutionary inventions including the Atmos “Perpetual Motion Clock” (which operates by changes in air pressure) and the creation of the world’s smallest mechanical movement which weighed less than one gram.
Terms of
I pack my watches very well to avoid damage but very occasionally a problem may occur due to rough treatment in transit or the use of scanning equipment by Customs or the postal services which can magnetise the watch mechanism. I warrant that the watch you purchase will, when you receive it, be as described in the listing. If there is a problem when you receive your purchase I provide a no quibble full refund option. Alternatively I will undertake any repairs that are necessary if the watch is damaged or if in any other way differs significantly from the description. If I have not stated that the watch has been serviced, you may wish to have this work done, particularly if you intend to wear the watch on a daily basis. On request, I can provide you with details of independent watchmakers to whom you can send your watch for servicing.
I provide comprehensive details of my watches, including very clear photographs taken with a high resolution macro lens which shows detail not visible to the naked eye. I also invite you to ask questions if there is anything else you need to know. Please take care to consider the dimensions of the watch case as if it is a gentlemans’ Art Deco rectangular vintage watch, they were made significantly smaller than contemporary watches.
You are buying a used watch so there will be signs of use. Please do not expect quartz accuracy from a vintage watch. In the 1940’s/1950’s the accepted timekeeping tolerance for a new 17 jewel manual watch was within three minutes a day. All of my watches are professionally inspected and tested before sale and if they are not running smoothly and keeping reasonable time I have them serviced and/ or have any other work undertaken that is needed to ensure the watch is in running condition. However please bear in mind that a fault can develop unexpectedly at any time as with any used item so I am unable to provide any on-going warranty. Please also note that I provide no guarantee that my watches are waterproof. I would always strongly recommend keeping any vintage well away from moisture.