| Author | Message | ||
     Cary D. Snyder Unregistered guest Rating: |
A novice�s guide to �Jaeger-LeCoultre Watch� Appraisal By Cary Snyder -- Thanks to Zaf! A lot of people like me are neophytes when it comes to figuring out what it would take to appraise a fine time piece. A quick and necessary lesson can be provided by my experience in figuring out details of a �Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Watch� I came by recently. Like most beginners I started out totally believing in the reliability of my source; who wants its value to be high and worth something. Zaf offered a kind suggestion to make a post and see if others could help me with my then vague description. I quickly looked at what others had said in other postings, picking up on details and learning that posting pictures is perhaps the best place to start. They say a picture tells a thousand words so here is the first snapshot, certainly not a great picture, but a good starting point.  A snapshot of the back of the watch is of similar quality and not to revealing. But it does provide some necessary detail.  What I was told about this particular Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch wasn�t totally accurate to start. But in general it looked fine to me, but obviously used. In checking out basics at The Jaeger-LeCoultre Society [ See http://www.jlcsociety.com ] Watch Model Number web page I found this JLC had a steel case and similar band, and not the "something else" I was told. The back of the watch had the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso name with the number 250.8.86, and an authentic looking SN 1688759. The web site told me this would be ###.#.## or series . case metal . caliber, or 250 = Reverso Classique Mechanical (Key), 8 = Steel, and 86 = 846 movement. The front/back of the reversing watch has an engraved picture of a woman in a boat pleasing men from front and back, and the boat has a "2/2" on it. Okay, not something that appeals to my taste, but this is after all a �cultured timepiece�. I would have normally posted all of this, saying I�d greatly appreciate anyone in the forum providing more information, other details on this watch, or where I might look to find out information. - Using a scanner for better close up pictures - I didn't have to wait for others, as in the process of getting better close-up pictures I started figuring out the real story behind this particular JLC watch. It would be hard to see the necessary details of a snapshot photo without having good close-up photography capabilities. A inexpensive option, that some of us might not realize, is that a scanner can be used to get good close-up views that show more detail than you normally see without magnification. A close up of this Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch started to reveal necessary and perhaps shocking details of this particular timepiece.  Note: All close-ups scanned with a CanoScan 5000F into Adobe Photoshop and saved in JPG format. The picture of the au courant back or reversed watch clearly shows the condition as well worn; or does it show something else?  The story get really interesting when the cover is removed � The "story" I was told was that there would be a second watch behind it? Okay, as a beginner I have no idea what to believe, and can only count on trusting people I want to believe in. Removing this cover reveals an unexpected surprise; A lack of quality inside and perhaps showing the significance of the extra wear on the outside.  How could this be? The answer becomes totally apparent by looking at the movement. Seeing a battery in a mechanical movement watch shows the truth to be that this is not even close to being fine timepiece. But is was just good enough to fool a hopeful amateur.  and
 Surprise, surprise, a Miyota movement, from Japan, and �NO JEWELS� reveals it to be an older fake or counterfeit knockoff of a JLC timepiece. So the best advice from this Novice is to be very careful with your appraisal attempts. To get a semi-accurate online appraisal you will need to provide more than one picture of significant quality to show what you REALLY have. There could be many poor counterfeits like this one, where a newbie like me (with the help of expert advice and help from this forum) is able to figure out an appraised value of nothing for this particular fake. Lucky for me I�m not yet out anything. Even the potentially embarrassing answer to a post in this forum was avoided by collecting the necessary detail, and quality photos to help answer my own question. Now I am paying back Zaf for his help by posting my potentially embarrassing experience anyway, and in the process thanking him for his wonderful advice and kind help. Thank you all! So my one real question here; Is there a real JLC watch like this, and would it be a rare and quality timepiece? - Cary Snyder from California. | ||
| Zaf Moderator Username: Zaf Post Number: 76 Registered: 05-2003 Rating: N/A |
Excellent post Cary, thanks. The watch is clearly a fake with no value. Happy hunting! | ||
| stephanie johnson New member Username: Phedupinlv Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2003 Rating: N/A |
this picture pales in comparison with yours and this is not in as good shape but i think it is the real version of the same watch.  |
