In two weeks vintage watch Auctioneer Antiquorum will hold its annual auction in NYC, April 10th, 2013. With over 404 Lots being offered there is just about a watch for every collector.

However one watch in particular deserves our comment. It is Lot 320- a Le Coultre Deep Sea Alarm from 1960.

Before you ask what brand Le Coultre was, it essentially is Jaeger Le Coultre, but in the US market- the brand was sold under the simple name ‘Le Coultre’.

In Europe the same watch was sold under the Jaeger Le Coultre brand and did not carry the name ‘deep sea alarm’ on the dial. We think the US edition-which you see above is much more charming.

Why is this watch interesting?

Well firstly the Deep Sea Alarm was among the first watches that can be called a diving watch, a category that was launched in the end 1950′s with essentially three brands, Rolex with the Submariner, Blancpain with fifthy Fathoms and Jaeger Le Coultre with the Deep Sea Alarm. This watch has further appeal since relatively few pieces were ever produced (estimates are under 1000).

Perhaps what makes the watch most interesting is that it comes from the property of the original family.

Watches that are the property of the original family tend to be in a more original state than when the watch continuously passes on to dealers and various owners (provided the original owners took care of the watch and didn’t accept replacement dials). Lot 320 is an important lot and it is no exaggeration to state that the Deep Sea Alarm from the 1950s belongs to the most important watches of Jaeger Le Coultre’s history.

Other important milestones include the Atmos, the Polaris memovox 1968, the Reverso of the 1930′s. In fact the deep sea is so important that JLC brought out a re-edition to pay homage to the Iconic original (main picture). The re-edition was brought out in 2012 and made in 359 pieces. They all sold out quickly.

For collectors of diving watches – this watch is a must have.

The only minor problem we have noticed with this watch- is that the hands do not seem to be original and we are also not sure of the two winding crowns either.

According to Antiquorum the hands are original but our research indicates otherwise (we have talked to an expert on JLC and looked the re-edition which carries different hands). The most valuable part of the watch, the dial, bezel and movement appear to be original. This is important and valuable.

We think the estimate of Antiquorum is fair (USD 14-20’000) perhaps even conservative and if the watch sells within the range the buyer can be pleased with the result.

For more information on Lot 320- the LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm from 1960 click here.

(main picture credit: Antiquorum)

by Edmond Saran