Jaeger lecoultre Futurematic 1953-59

Jaeger lecoultre was late in producing watch with automatic movements as its Calibre 476 only arrived in 1946. Even though it is late in the field of automatic movemenmt, it gained in terms of the Calibre 476 having a power reserve of 40 hours; additionally, the movement was accurate enough for it to achieve chronometer certification twelve years after its introduction.

In 1953, JLC launched the Futurematic. A special designed products in innovative shapes and colors that aesthetically embodied the future the world aspired to. The Futurematic was powered by the Calibre 497, which, thanks to its larger balance, was even more accurate than the Calibre 476. Like many early automatic movements produced by Universal Genève, for example, the Calibre 497 was a bumper wind movement. But in the Calibre 497, the oscillating weight was locked into place by a little hook, preventing it from overwinding and breaking the mainspring, which was a problem that plagued many early automatic calibres. 

Borrrowed Photos from the net

With the Calibre 497, JLC created a unique hand-setting wheel that is engaged by sliding--not lifting--the coin-shaped crown on the back of the case inward toward the center of the watch, which also engages the hack lever. To set the hands, the wearer simply rotates the crown clockwise; to get the hands going again, you slide the crown toward the outside of the case. I think Patek also has a similar designed watch with the winding crown at the back case too. One issue is that when one wears the watch during hot and humid summer, the hand's perspiration might get into the watch from the bottom of the watch case.

Borrowed photo from the net