Posted by Most watch collectors only collect watches they are planning to wear. Me, I started that way but along the line I started to stray…
Picking up some pieces I find interesting even if I would never wear it on my wrist…
Or like in this case – around my neck…
It all started long time ago when I found an old LeCoultre postcard. The card features four ladies wrist watches and one pendant.
With only this card I did not have much to go on but I picked it up as a joyful Jaeger-LeCoultre accessory…
Later I found another postcard from the same series, so I realised this is not one-off postcard, there is a series of postcards – yes, of course: I started to hunt for these cards…
For several years I didn’t find any more cards… But then a pendant I recognised from the card came up for sale…
Not exactly the same as in the postcard, but close enough to tell it is the same pendant, pendant number 428. Made for a lady to wear around her neck.
It is made out of stainless steel, 42 mm in diameter. The three rings around the watch – the inner ring is 3 mm wide/thick and the other T.W.O rings thins out to 1.5 mm.
The watch case is 24 mm in diameter and 5.5 mm thick excluding the domed plexi.
Inside is the Calibre 404 – same as in many of these Ladies Uniplan.
Movement number indicated 1935-1936…
But on the back is an engraving: “Brandy, Christmas 1954”. 1935, guess this was a Christmas gift to a dear girl named Brandy…
Hm, 1954 – still nothing conclusive to go on…
The pendant ended up in a box… Years passed… And then I hit the mother load! I found a complete(?) set of these postcards!
Ten postcards in total plus a note and an incomplete price list…
Using Google translation we get the following text:
“These photographs that reach the S.V. from Switzerland illustrate some fine watchmaking creations, mostly unpublished.
Thanks to the privilege of always being able to dispose of what is new in this field first – given our special relationships with the best Swiss houses – we are pleased to be able to present to S.V. these last masterpieces of our art.“
Now we are getting somewhere!
“Mostly unpublished” – my interpretation of this translated into today’s vocabulary would be “Novelties” or at least recently new released watches.
Second clue is the “Natale 1936/XV“. 1936 which aligns very well with the pendant movement number!
Next is the price list: in 1936 the pendant number 428 costed 600 Lire. Not sure what that would be in today’s currency but according to Wikipedia, in 1936, 24.89 Lire was equivalent to 1.00 USD.
That gives us 600 Lire = 24.11 USD in 1936. And according to Dollartimes, 1 USD back in 1936 would be equivalent to 18.62 USD today.
So, the pendant number 428 would today cost 448.85 USD!
Unfortunately, all watches in the postcards are not included in the price list… Still interesting to see.
The Reverso which today is the one we remember was cheaper than the pendant 428!
I have used information from these postcards in other reports already –
Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Watchmakers Watchmaker
It all started with a postcard… A good reminder these days.. With all the “social distance”, keep in touch with your loved ones!
Stay healthy, stay safe and stay tuned for more postcard!
The Blomman Watch Report 