E-859 Genuine or Fake

[charlestoncory]

Hello all, I've come into what appears to be a 1968 E-859. I'm not familiar with JLC watches, can anyone identify this as genuine or not? Thanks for your help.

[gatorcpa]

Certainly looks the part to me. Here is a completed auction for a similar watch:

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/eca ... t.125.html

Hopefully Zaf will give his opinion.
gatorcpa

[zafbasha]

The box shown on the Sotheby's auction is not a Polaris box.

On your example, I think it is real, but I'd need to see it in person to be sure. There are a couple of mismatches:

1. A "LeCoultre Dial" should go with a "LeCoultre" movement, not a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement.
2. "Stainless Steel" stamped on the back of the out case is a little strange to me, there usually is nothing.

Those 2 things are enough of a warning sign to warrant an in person inspection.

Zaf

[charlestoncory]

Hi Zaf, thanks for the response. I've come across your name (and book) quite a bit in this JLC journey that I'm on!

The mismatched signatures bothered me as well, but I didn't notice the "stainless steel" stamp until you pointed it out. Two questions:

1) The case back has "V1073" hand engraved. Could that be a repair signature?
2) Do you have a shop in DC where I could make an appointment to bring the watch by for a deeper look?

[zafbasha]

1) Looks like a repair mark
2) No, 'virtual' storefront only.

[charlestoncory]

Ok. So I've got a likely legit Polaris with some questionable history. Unfortunately, I don't know the original owner so I can't find out how it got it's odd characteristics.

What I do need is parts. My watchmaker has it at the moment but he doesn't want to tear into it until we confirm the availability of parts for repair. The setting mechanism seems to be stripped as it clicks when the crown is turned but the hands don't move. The alarm works and the bezel works as well as the automatic winding. It will keep time, I just can't set the hands and consequently, the date. I want to be involved in the process so I volunteered to find the parts for the repair. He gave me a parts list and some likely suspects for the problem: movement and alarm clutch wheel, movement and alarm winding pinion, crown wheel and intermediate crown wheel for alarm, and crown wheel core.

The way I think I understand it is that I have a cal 825 movement based on the 815. If I am correct (and I'm looking for correction) I should be able to use parts for either 825 or 815 with the exception of parts for the calendar mechanism?

I've hit the usual suspects: Ofrei, Cas-ker, Jules Borel, etc. Are there better ways or better sources to locate parts for this movement?

[zafbasha]

It might be cheaper to find a complete 815 or 825 movement than source the parts piecemeal. For example, clutch wheels (a rare part since they break all the time) are over $100 each when you can find them. I have a couple left but will only sell them in the context of a complete overhaul.

[charlestoncory]

In the context of a complete overhaul - how much could I expect to pay you for that?