Hallo Omegoids,
Back in November 2017 I took a 270 Euro punt on a broken JLC Powermatic....Before pic (not mine sorry for quality)
I was attracted to it because of the dial and case styling: I believe this to be one of the very first designs in late 48 early 1949 for the (back then) groundbreaking automatic with reserve function. This is quite a scarce bird.
I took it to my watch guy..there was quite a lot to fix, including him making a new bumper spring, but now it's back home on a rather natty Asian Cobra strap and I couldn't be happier.
The repair was 250 Euros, a little more than i'm used to, but I felt it was probably fair for the amount of work and time it took. My watch guy kept me appraised during all the long months. I don't know what the current average value for gf powermatics are, but overall, I think I've done ok. Not that I'll be selling, this will be going in my JLC box and worn in rotation. Now just the JLC wrist alarm to repair and a cheap futurematic to find and I'll have rounded off the 40/50's JLC automatic collection I want.
My watch guy has offered to do some re-lapping on the Omega cobra I handed in for work today...Haven't decided yet, but he seems to know what he is doing!!

 

Nicely done! Also, “JLC box”??? Pics please!

 

Alas those 50's JLC boxes elude me.... Never seen one less than 70-90 Euros...i'm not really into paying that!!

 

Oh, I misunderstood - thought you meant @back into the JLC box” as in you have a watch box for each brand you collect, and I was like “sweet, let’s see!”

 

Naw I've got a nice 6 watch storage box in my safe for my JLC's . The whole watch collecting madness actually all started with a small WWII watch I inherited that was my granny's brother who was a pilot/Navigator. I went a bit nuts for JLC's after that. I wanted to have a small progression covering war to mid 50's, including a cal p478 and especially the ground breaking automatics. I'm getting the early wrist alarm/memovox case you can see here repaired at the moment and scouting for a doer upper futurematic. Then I'm really finished.....I think. The other ones I've idly looked at are in a price range where my head would be turned by other stuff. The market has gone a bit crazy and is slowly moving outwit my means..

 

Great collection! I’ve been looking to do the same, with another brand - covering a few different decades of interest (40s - 70s).
I mentioned on another thread I’ve always loved the Futurematics! But bad disks and lack of replacement parts, not to mention rising costs, have kept me away.

 

I hear ya! What is you brand of interest ?

 

Rolex. Specifically 1940s - 1970s when I think they made their best watches. My current daily (well, most days) is from 1972 and is a champ!

 

Oh you don't need so many

On the other hand I having a hoarding problem with Longines and Girard Perregaux. Recently I have taken a liking for Bucherer, after getting a very rare dial design one.

 

That's a great example. I love that case style. The one thing that gets me about Powermatics and Futurematics is the variety of cases and dials that JLC put out. Count me jealous.

 

The Powermatics and Futurematics branded under Lecoultre were all cased by three different companies operating in the states...This was an earlier case..then moving into the 50's there's the so called "Nautilus" case and also the "Turtle" case, (I think James dean wore one of these as he killed himself in the Spyder) amongst other standard designs. As far as I know, The movements were originally sent over uncased to exploit some kind of import duty loophole.
Having seen a few now, I find the US gf cases generally to be a little on the brittle/flimsy side and very easily bent or damaged, especially the lugs. The ratio of "Lecoultre" to european logoed "Jaeger Lecoultre" dialled Powermatics and Fututrematics must be about 50-1 or higher. I love this era of JLC/ Lecoultre for both the styling and the innovation. The standard gf cased ones are getting harder and harder to find at reasonable prices and the gold 14K/18K ones are commanding vintage Speedster prices.
These are by no means tool watches. They're like Orchids or tropical discus fish...hard to keep in top condition. I find the ones going cheap that I have to fix and get serviced and then wear them once a month or so. I'm unsure how often they'd have to be serviced with such minimal wear
perhaps every 10-12 years or so. Like most watch nutters/hoarders here it's about simply having them to cherish.....and one day to pass on.