The Latest JLC Polaris Is A Perpetual Calendar

March 31, 2022

Jaeger-LeCoultre is a prolific watchmaker, in terms of movements, in terms of collections, and in terms of rare handcrafts. Combining all of these strengths under one roof makes JLC stand out from the crowd, even in a day and age in which more and more watchmakers like to flex their in-house muscles. It's no wonder that the company, whose sprawling manufacture has grown around an original, humble farmhouse, is called the Grande Maison by collectors. Today, we have an update to the Polaris collection, a sport line born in the 1960s that incorporates a new take on a perpetual calendar caliber originally debuted back in 2013. It has been endowed with a new display for the Southern Hemisphere moonphase and a lengthier power reserve of 70 hours. There are two crowns, as you'd expect on a Polaris. The top crown rotates the inner bezel, and the bottom crown winds and sets the watch. Jaeger-LeCoultre revived the Polaris name in 2018, positioning it as a high-end sport watch. This being Jaeger-LeCoultre, however, there are plenty of complications and display types at their disposal, and here we see a Polaris high-complication, available in either steel or pink gold. What We Think There is very little JLC can't do in-house. JLC's history is one of making big and important things for some of the most famous names in watchmaking. Some of the most hyped watch lines of today began in the 1970s with a thin automatic caliber from Jaeger beating inside them. This sporty high-complication is something that I think the JLC really excels at today. Blending a sport watch aesthetic with a perpetual calendar display can sometimes come across as clunky or hamfisted from a design standpoint, often because of the size of the resulting watches. While the Polaris Perpetual Calendar ought to have a solid wrist presence at 42mm in diameter, its height of less than 12mm means that it won't ride too high and ought to deliver wonderful stability on the wrist. The Basics Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultreModel: Polaris Perpetual CalendarReference Number: Ref. Q9088480 (steel), ref. Q9082480 (pink gold)Diameter: 42mmThickness: 11.97mmCase Material: Pink gold or steelDial Color: BlueIndexes: AppliedLume: YesWater Resistance: 100 metersStrap/Bracelet: Steel version comes with steel bracelet and rubber strap. Gold version comes with rubber strap and alligator strap. The Movement Caliber: JLC 868QFunctions: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with moonphasePower Reserve: 70 hoursWinding: Automatic Pricing & Availability Price: Gold, 37,700 euros; stainless steel, 25,600 euros Shop this story The HODINKEE Shop sells vintage and pre-owned Jaeger-LeCoultre. For more on this watch, visit the Jaeger-LeCoultre web site.