The Collectables from Jaeger Lecoultre

As part of its 190th anniversary debuts, JLC announces The Collectibles, a curated selection of vintage timepieces that have been restored by its watchmakers and certified by the brand. Jaeger Lecoultre has started its vintage watch collection featuring a few of its classic models. Of the various models, my favourite watches are the Potholes Futurematic, Lapis memovox and the Polaris..

https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/hk-en/watches/collectibles/qve85501

Watch case opener for Jaeger Lecoultre memovox 855

Watch opener is an essential tool for service of watch. There are some watch such as the Jaeger Lecoultre memovox that require special tool opener to open the watch case. Very often, watch makers who do not have the necessary tools might tend to scratch the watch back case. I have managed to find the opener for the Jaeger Lecoultre memovox 855 as per photo below.

Rolex ref 6044 from the year 1951

Rolex 6044 from the year 1951. This model features a distinctive scooped bezel and is fitted with Rolex’s ‘Super Oyster’ crown. Introduced for a short period of time from c. 1951-1953, the Super Oyster crown was developed as an alternative water-resistant crown to the traditional screw-down crown that Rolex had first launched in 1926. 

Super Oyster crowns were used for only a very short period of time in the early 1950s with production quickly reverting back to the screw-down Oyster in c.1953. Many of the Super Oyster crowns were replaced with screw-down crowns during later servicing and original examples are becoming increasingly scarce. The Super Oyster crown acts in the same way as a standard crown and can be wound in the resting position. These crowns were used in the Rolex handwind Royal series and some Bubbleback too.

Technical details : Rolex calibre 700 manually wound movement, lever escapement, compensation balance, 18,000 BPH,

Rolex GMT2, Tudor Harrods, Milgauss and Rolex Kermit collection

Even though my main focus has always been the vintage watches, there are some small exceptions. After a long period of collection, I have finally managed to gather what I have called the green series consisting of the following:

Mini Neo Vintage Green collection: 

1. Rolex GMT Master II 116710LN Lunette Noir (Black bezel + Green Arrow) 2007-2019 綠針

2. Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition 2018- Present

3. Rolex 116400Gv Glacé Verte Milgauss 2007 - Present 綠玻璃

4. Rolex Submariner 16610LV 2003-2010 綠圈

For the year 2023, I hope to be able to tighten my watch collection into thematic collection like the above and upgrade my collection further. Currently I hope to fine tune my collection to the following categories 

1. Rolex Prince & Gruen Doctor’s watch series

2. Rolex Big, Medium and small Bubbleback series

3. Rolex Datejust and Daydate & Turn O Graph

4. Rolex sports : Submariner, Daytona, GMT, Explorers 

5. Jaeger Lecoultre: Futurematic Potholes , Memovox Scale and Lapis dials

6. Military watches

7. Cloisonné dials watches 

8. Exotic Divers and Pilot watches 

For my 2023 wish lists, I hope to be able to find the following

1. Rolex 1601 lapis or tiger eye dials, 

2. Jaeger Lecoultre Futurematic pothole in solid gold

3. Jaeger Lecoultre memovox in brown scale dial in 18k solid gold

4. Rolex early cushion watch 

5. Patek Moonphase 

Rolex GMT Master II ref 116710LN Green Arrow from 2011

The Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN often called the Green Arrow was launched in 2007 till 2019 and was displaced by its sibling model 116710BLNR.

The very first example of the new six-digit generation of Rolex GMT-Master II watches was the ref. 116718LN from 2005, which was constructed from solid 18k yellow gold and offered with either a black or celebratory green dial to commemorate the GMT-Master collection’s 50th anniversary. The solid gold model was followed by the two-tone Rolesor ref. 116713LN in 2006, and the stainless steel ref. 116710LN appeared the following year in 2007. 

However, the much demand steel model was finally launched during Baselworld 2007 with the Super Case, 40mm case diameter. The overall profile was noticeably chunkier thanks to thicker lugs and crown guards nearly twice the width of the previous model. It has been commonly called 綠針 in Hong Kong.

There are several nice changes. Firstly, complementing the bolder case was another novel was the use of the Maxi dial. The Maxi dial was first seen on the green bezel 50th Anniversary edition Submariner from 2003 (“Kermit”), the Maxi dial features larger indexes and broader hour and minute hands. 

In addition, it has the the use of a Triplock crown instead of the Twinlock variety found on older models. Originally developed for the Sea-Dweller to ensure its fearsome water resistance, Triplock crowns are now found on all of Rolex’s dive watches, along with modern Daytona, Yacht-Master, Yacht-Master II, and GMT-Master II watches.

Naturally, the headlines surrounding the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN all centered around its bezel with Rolex’s newly patented material (known as “Cerachrom”) which had been made from aluminium since the 1950s. I was hoping for an aluminium bezel initially and this was one of the reason I didn’t get the watch when it was first launched.

The movement inside the ref. 116710 is the in-house Rolex Caliber 3186. It was the replacement for the previous generation’s Cal. 3185 which had been in use since the late 1980s and in truth, the two movements were almost identical. The main reason for the change in caliber number was the slightly updated jump-hour mechanism and the implementation of Rolex’s proprietary blue Parachrom hairspring, which took the place of the Nivarox version found in the Cal. 3185.

An alloy of zirconium and niobium with a blue oxide coating, Parachrom is touted as being completely antimagnetic and virtually immune to temperature variations, along with being approximately 10-times more resistant to shocks. It first appeared inside the Caliber 4130 from the current series of the Daytona and has now been rolled out across almost the entire collection of Rolex movements, with the only exceptions being some of the smaller calibers that use Syloxi (silicon)  hairsprings.

The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN has a modernized three links oyster bracelet making it steady and comfortable to wear.  

The links of the Oyster bracelet featured high-polished centers and were now entirely solid (including end-links), thus ensuring a solid weight and resilience, the newly redesigned bracelet also introduced the patented Easylink extension to the clasp. Rolex’s Easylink system allows for 5mm of extension (or contraction), completely on the fly and without the need for any tools. This means that the bracelet can be adjusted throughout the day to compensate for the natural fluctuations in wrist size that occur due to factors such as ambient temperature and humidity.

The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN is the final example of the Rolex’s legendary pilot’s watch to be released with a single color bezel. With its all-black Cerachrom bezel and green GMT arrow hand. I am very to be able to trade two Explorers for this beauty.

Key summary features:

– Reference Number: 116710LN

– Production Years: 2007 – 2019

– Case Size: 40mm

– Materials: Oystersteel (904L Stainless Steel)

– Functions: Time w/ Runnings Seconds, Date Display, GMT-Functionality

– Dial: Black w/ Luminou Hour Markers

– Bezel: Bidirectional, Black Ceramic Insert w/ 24-Hour Scale

– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)

– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet

– Movement: Rolex Caliber 3186

– Strap/Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet

Rolex ref 16570 Explorer 2 version 2

This is the second version of Rolex ref 16570 Explorer 2 featuring “SWISS” only dial in white or what is commonly known as Polar dial from 1999.

16570 Version 1 – (1989-1997) Features “SWISS – T<25” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs case, pressure 93159 bracelet clasp 501B
16570 Version 2 – (1998/1999 features “SWISS” Only Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, locking bracelet clasp. Around 1999 (in the midst of the A series), the bracelet was updated with the Solid-End-Link (SEL) )
16570 Version 3 – (1999-2005) features “SWISS MADE” Dial, 3185 movement, drilled lugs, or no-holes case, 78790A bracelet
16570 Version 4 – (2005-2011) features “SWISS MADE Dial, 3186 movement, no holes case, rehaut, solid endlinks, 78790A locking bracelet clasp

Finally managed to match the rolex 16570 Explorer Black dial with its white brother

Happy 2023