Jaeger-LeCoultre Ref. E159 Military-Style in Steel, circa 1946

The Jaeger-LeCoultre E159 is the forerunner of the celebrated Geophysic E168 – same P478 caliber, same functional purpose. Introduced in 1945 within the catalogue of the Sentier manufacture, this reference was notably chosen by the SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine nationale) to equip its officers. The example offered here, a civilian model intended for the French market (with the “Fabriqué en Suisse” inscription on the dial), features a silver-cream dial that has developed a superb honey patina of remarkable uniformity. The Arabic numerals and blued-steel leaf hands retain their original radium. Under the caseback, the P478 caliber offers a remarkable sight: gilded mainplate and bridges, Côtes de Genève, bevelled edges – a level of finishing that more than one collector deems superior to that of the Geophysic. Freshly serviced, it runs perfectly. An embodiment of JLC’s immediate post-war savoir-faire.