Help identify: Jaeger-LeCoultre women's watch circa 50s or 60s
My wife found her Grandmother's watch among her jewelry items recently. This square 17mm case with a 28mm lug to lug is a bit of a mystery. It is clearly not a Reverso. I'm not brave enough to pop the case and look for the serial number on the movement. Our guess is that this is circa 1950s or 1960s based on when she would have received it, but I really don't know if it was purchased prior. Any clues to help date or identify would be very helpful.
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Travis
Emerging watch enthusiast. I know just enough to be dangerous to my bank account. Small town kid, joined the military, stuck with it for 21 years, stayed in defense. Greater DC area.
Fredericksburg, VA
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Last active: 5 days ago
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I may have found the answer shifting back a decade or two in the estimate. She was born in 1925 so it is likely she got it in the mid-1940s as a family present vice a gift in marriage. Seems a similar model is on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/392276175343
very ancient watch sir
The D&A on the case back refers to DiVincenzo & Arienti. They were an American case maker for high end brands like Omega, Rolex, Hamilton, etc. Swiss companies imported the movements and cased them in the USA to get around import tariffs on finished watches.
This watch was definitely cased up at LeCoultre in New York. I looked through the Shugart book and didn't find a match but I'd say its mid to late 1940's. You can try to email JLC and see if they can give you any info but you will need the serial number for that. I was successful in getting information on a JLC (Memovox) from them. They gave me the location and the name of the dealer where the watch was originally sold and the name of the original owner.
Turns out the oral family history matched the info I got back from JLC. Usually, on inherited pieces like this the oral history is pretty close to the factual situation.
This watch was definitely cased up at LeCoultre in New York. I looked through the Shugart book and didn't find a match but I'd say its mid to late 1940's. You can try to email JLC and see if they can give you any info but you will need the serial number for that. I was successful in getting information on a JLC (Memovox) from them. They gave me the location and the name of the dealer where the watch was originally sold and the name of the original owner.
Turns out the oral family history matched the info I got back from JLC. Usually, on inherited pieces like this the oral history is pretty close to the factual situation.
That is very exciting to be able to find that out. Thanks for taking the time to share how we can potentially discover the provenance of the piece. It would be really cool to see if the record include my wife's great grandfather as the "original" owner once we get this refurbished.
The D&A on the case back refers to DiVincenzo & Arienti. They were an American case maker for high end brands like Omega, Rolex, Hamilton, etc. Swiss companies imported the movements and cased them in the USA to get around import tariffs on finished watches.
That is an amazing piece of history. I'd been aware of the practice before but it is awesome to have a name for a maker and something that points to a genuine origin for the piece. Very cool. Obliged for taking the time!
The hands and markers are so tarnised that they look like claymation watch like in older Wallace and Gromit movies 😂
The hands and markers are so tarnised that they look like claymation watch like in older Wallace and Gromit movies 😂
Cheeeeesseeeee Grommet