BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
As the colour green slowly edges its way into the picture in horological design, we’ve been keeping track of its progress. Even though blue still dominates the new watches coming from the manufacturers, and the prices on the grey market, we can’t help but feel excited that a change in the colours of our watches is on the horizon. Things have gotten a little stale and repetitive in the last few years, at least for the larger market of luxury watches, so it’s good to see change. The latest piece to take the jump into the green world is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris Date.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this release is that the new green Polaris is already in the hands of some customers as I write this. Usually, it takes a couple of weeks from publication to see these going into the dealers, and a week or two more to see them appear in the watch forums I’m involved with. However, Jaeger-LeCoultre seems to have moved at a surprising speed with this one.
The watch is no different from the others (apart from the colours, of course). The dial’s lacquered green fumé appears relatively simple. This appears to be a three-handed watch with a contrasting date wheel at 3 O’clock, why the background couldn’t be the same colour as the dial I don’t know.
The lacquered central disk is classy as well, and it has a fumé effect too. Whereas the central disk is where the fumé begins, the inner-rotating dive bezel is where it ends. Both the markers and hands are given a coating of fauxtina.
Underneath that dial with the orangey-brown lume is the calibre 899AB, an in-house calibre with a 70-hour power reserve and 4Hz beat rate. It also has a high-quality finish as you’d expect from Jaeger-LeCoultre. This is sat in a stainless steel case measuring 42mm x 13.92mm, which has a 200m water resistance rating.
With a green hobnail-texture rubber strap to match the dial, this watch costs $9200.
Visit Jaeger-LeCoultre here.
