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Jaeger 4ATM E.13001, 1968 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Jaeger 4ATM E.13001, 1968

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Jaeger (maker)
Date
1968
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
Product 126784438297
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 126784438297)
Catalogue title (original)
Jaeger 4ATM E.13001 (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 126784438297), this is a wristwatch by Jaeger, dated 1968. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 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

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

The Jaeger 4 ATM was produced for the French watchmaker for a very short period between 1968 and 1971. This watch is certainly one of the more mysterious chronographs out there as to why it was produced, but with an estimation that less than 100 examples were produced, this is one of the rarest chronographs of the era. As there is no official model name for this watch, it is nicknamed ‘4 ATM’ due to the engraving on the caseback denoting its depth rating. With a typical panda dial layout and large bevelled case, this is a classic chronograph from the 60’s reminiscent of many other sports watches of the time. This example has aged in a beautifully unique way- with the silver sunburst dial developing a champagne-toned patina and the black subdials fading into a purple-grey hue. This gives the 4 ATM an amazing depth as depending on the light, it reflects different tones. Powered by the trusty Valjoux 72, it is a high-quality column wheel movement that is shared with watches such as the famous Rolex Daytona and Heuer Autavia, amongst others. This is truly an uncommon sports chronograph from the late 60’s and it is so rare, that to this day it remains largely under the radar.

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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