Jaeger-LeCoultre 9041 Étrier – Dial versions

Not long ago, my wife added her second Jaeger-LeCoultre reference 9041 Étrier to her collection. Like many other models from the big house – if you like the model, it is hard to stop at only one…

There are often so many different versions of each model that you could create an entire collection just around one model!

Previously I reported about the history of the Étrier model and about its roots from the 1930’s. If you missed it, you find the report here: Jaeger-LeCoultre 9041 Étrier

Since before, my wife had the 9041 Silver dial with Roman numbers – the new addition is the slate grey dial with Roman numbers on an oval band.

Jaeger-LeCoultre reference 9041 Étrier – on the wooden beam

The Étrier case design is rather simple, yet genius!

The lugs are longer, tube shaped, bent inwards at the ends – creating a visually rather large watch without making the case as large. The lugs are angled to follow the shape of your wrist and by placing the crown at six, the symmetry around the y-axis is kept perfectly.

Even if the dial is a horizontal rectangle, eyes and wrist perceives this as a ‘vertical‘ watch. Case width: 28 mm, height:23 mm, including lugs: 43 mm.

One detail which is hard to see up front, is that the 9041 is a rather flat watch, the center part of the watch is only 6.5 mm thick including the raised plexi crystal.

Inside is the Calibre 818/2 – a manual movement which is only 2.94 mm thick and 20.80 mm in diameter which only leaves 1.10 mm on top/bottom to the outside of the case!

Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 818 movement specification

As can be seen here in the Jaeger-LeCoultre 1975 catalogue, the 9041 came in both stainless steel and 18K solid gold.

I suspect the 9041 was launched in 1970, based on the sales book page from the same year.

Slate grey dial with either rectangular or oval band in matching metal with painted Roman numbers – guessing that this was the first version(s) of the 9041. Notice that there is no JL anchor on the dial.

Jaeger-LeCoultre sales book page 1970 – ref 9041

As in 1971 the gilt and the smoke dial versions were added. On these, the hour markers are applied lines, radiant or horizontal.

Here, the sliver dial with Roman numbers is not mentioned and if you look closely on the scans, you see there are several versions of the Jaeger-LeCoultre logo and placement of logo.