LECOULTRE - a gentleman's chronograph wrist watch. Numbered 287673. Signed manual wind Valjoux...

LECOULTRE - a gentleman's chronograph wrist watch. Numbered 287673. Signed manual wind Valjoux calibre 72. Silvered dial with Arabic numeral hour markers, subsidiary recorder dials to three, six and nine, bordered by a telemetric scale. Stainless steel case fitted to an unsigned black leather strap with stainless steel pin buckle. 34mm.

The name on the dial of this watch seems to be missing its first half, given that it is all but identical to the Jaeger-LeCoultre example of the same reference. The ‘LeCoultre’ name indicates that the watch was made for the US market, although the exact details are a little complex and open to much misinterpretation.

To avoid US import tariffs that were imposed from 1930, watches were imported to be cased up locally. The company responsible for distribution in the USA was Longines-Wittnauer who also distributed Vacheron Constantin and LeCoultre was the trading name that was chosen by them. Confusion comes from the fact that dials exist in the US with both the LeCoultre name and the JLC logo as well as cases on Swiss Jaeger-LeCoultre watches which are stamped LeCoultre.

To makes matters worse, the chronograph movement, a classic Valjoux 72 is stamped VXN which has led to the belief that Vacheron were somehow involved in the production. This stamp is the import mark used by Longines-Wittnauer for both Vacheron and LeCoultre and relates only to the import and distribution of the watches and not their manufacture.