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1960s Jaeger LeCoultre 14K WG 17J gents watch — view 1 of 4
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

1960s Jaeger LeCoultre 14K WG 17J gents watch

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
JAEGER (maker)
Date
1960s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold, white gold
Lot
Item 68919283
Credit line
Auction lot record: lot 14, IMPORTANT CELEBRITY ESTATE ANTIQUE AUCTION, Elite Decorative Arts (2019), via LiveAuctioneers
Catalogue title (original)
1960's JAEGER LECOULTRE 14K WG 17J GENTS WATCH (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 68919283), this is a wristwatch by JAEGER, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold, white gold. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Lot description — Elite Decorative Arts

A vintage, circa 1960's, gent's estate Jaeger LeCoultre wristwatch having a 14k white gold case with reference number 485-975 and further numbered 196387. Has a 17 jewel unadjusted hand winding mechanical movementnumber K818/CW with serial number 1648569; appears to wind and run. Case measures approx. 31mm east to west NOT including crown. Has black snake leather band with adjustable buckle clasp. Measures approx. 73/4" long (19.7cm) open end to end at longest adjustment. Total weight approx. 22.9 grams / 14.7dwt.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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