1950s Jaeger-Lecoultre Calendar in rose gold for the French market

Established in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre in the Swiss Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been at the forefront of horological innovation. Known as the “watchmaker’s watchmaker,” it has developed some of the most intricate and complicated movements in history, including the Reverso in 1931, a timepiece with a reversible case originally designed for polo players. Jaeger-LeCoultre has also introduced groundbreaking innovations like the Futurematic and Geophysic collections. The brand is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, creating not only technically advanced movements but also dials and cases of unparalleled beauty. Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to be a leader in haute horlogerie, combining technical expertise with artistic vision.

This model of calendar is not very well known by collectors, as it was produced in small quantities. It features a quite unique complication, with the display of the date via a rotating disc, which can be set thanks to a pusher in the middle of the crown.

This piece is also extremely rare as it comes in a rose gold “French case”. In the 50s, because of very high import taxes on gold, several manufacturers used to send movement, dial and hands to their abroad subsidiaries, where cases would be crafted by local makers, with their own designs. We can find very nice examples made for Omega, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Longines, or, as here, Jaeger-LeCoultre. When it comes to French cases, specifically, experts agree on the fact that these cases were usually of better quality than the original ones, with a larger amount of gold and more complex designs.

This model makes no exception. While the traditional JLC calendar disc watch has a quite simple case, this one has beveled lugs and bezel, various finishing (mirror polish, different brush polishes) and is bigger (35mm versus 34mm) and heavier.

It is worth noticing that the case is unpolished, keeping 2 very crisp eagle head hallmarks, being the typical french hallmark for 18 karat gold, and that the buckle seem to be made by the same maker, for this very watch, as it comes in the same rose gold and with its own eagle hallmark.

Also, the dial bears the french mention “Fabriqué en Suisse”, only seen on watches exported by Swiss manufacturers to France.

This watch is a stunning example of the collaboration between one of the best watch manufacturer and the most skilled French jewellers of the era. It is a unique opportunity to own a piece of horological history.