Jaeger-LeCoultre: Three Generations of Chronometers

Through history Jaeger-LeCoultre have not made many references which has been Chronometer certified. Not because they couldn’t, more likely because they didn’t think it was necessary to be able to sell their watches.

The ability to make Chronometers was within the manufacture long before they made their first wrist watch Chronometer and yes, even if not certified by a third party, their watches kept time within Chronometer standards!

Jaeger-LeCoultre wins First Prize at Neuchatel Observatory 1948

Since the Chronometer certifications are made by a third party, it is connected with an extra cost to certify your watch. I am guessing that Jaeger-LeCoultre with its high standard of accuracy didn’t need that extra sells argument.

To my knowledge Jaeger-LeCoultre only made three models with Chronometer certification, if you count each family of watches as one and don’t count the elusive LeCoultre Master Mariner… Yes, then only three*.

* Yes, there has been cases of single or a few watches to be Chronometer certified of a model, but not the entire production of a model.

The Grail –

The very first one was in 1958, in celebration of the 125 Years Anniversary, the E 168 Geophysic – part of the Jubilé collection:

The Geophysic family, inside the famous manual movement, Calibre P478/BWSBr. Also used by other brands in their Chronometer watches.

The Classic –

Second model was released in 1961, the Geomatic – the Geomatic was a bigger family of references, AFAIK, all of them being Chronometers.

What I am less sure of is which movements all of them had… My E 399 Geomatic have the automatic movement with date, Calibre 883S.

The Rebel –

In 1973 the Master Mariner 2400X family was born. All of them using the same movement, but strangely some with date and some with day-date!?

Both movement versions are marked “906” but when I have time I will try to study the movements closer and see if I can find any differences.

Jaeger-LeCoultre – 24002.42 Master Mariner

All three movements are equipped with hack seconds, but only the Calibre 960 have a plastic lever as hack seconds utility. The green lever beside the balance wheel.