Guitarist John McLaughlin and his ravishingly attractive LeCoultre
Upon attending the Only Watch Preview in Monaco, guitarist legend John McLaughlin suddenly crosses our path. What on earth is one of the best guitarists in the world doing at such a specific, specialised event? We discover that not only is he a huge watch enthusiast, but also, together with independent Swiss watch brand Artya, he is designing a truly exceptional watch, which was to be sold off at November’s Only Watch charity auction barely two months later.
On November 6, the one-off Artya x John McLaughlin watch was auctioned off for 55,000 Swiss francs in aid of the Monegasque Association Against Muscular Dystrophy – its estimated selling price had been between 35,000 to 50,000 Swiss francs.
The watch upon his wrist so striking us is a pretty rare 1950s LeCoultre, a gift from his wife from Boston sometime in the 1990s. The lugs of the watch are particularly noticeable, and are not something we have ever seen the likes of before. Golden loops are welded onto the yellow-gold case, fastening the lugs to which they are attached. The ivory-coloured dial has tapered hour markers and a minute track, which does not lie around the very periphery of the dial, but rather further within. Meanwhile, the small seconds lie at 6 o’clock.
Another notable feature of this model is that the dial is signed solely LeCoultre. Could this be a model, then from before the coming together of the movement manufacture LeCoultre and watchmaker Jaeger? No – it has nothing to do with the time of production, but rather with the place. Because of limiting toll restrictions at the time, the case, dial, and hands were made in the USA between the 1930s and 1970s. On the US market, the models were therefore signed with LeCoultre, while the European models read Jaeger-LeCoultre.
The watch has neither a model name nor a reference – there were actually models at JLC at that time which were not assigned to any particular collection or line. The diameter of the timepiece is 29.5 mm, the case is finished with 14-carat yellow-gold, and inside the beautiful stranger ticks the calibre 480.
During his lifetime, John McLaughlin owned a diverse range of Swiss watches, including an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, a golden Rolex GMT, a Rolex Submariner, a Cartier Tank Reverso (yes it really existed), an Oris Pilot’s watch, and a Parmigiani. He may no longer have all of these watches, but, says the musician, he still wears his LeCoultre regularly.
Geneva-based manufacturer Czapek & Cie. is expanding its Antarctique Passage de Drake sports watch collection with two new variants. The model now appears with a dial in the ice blue "Glacier Blue" or in Salmon. According to Czapek, these colors were frequently requested by collectors, which is why the manufacture finally decided to include them…
Popping pastels and vacation vibes; Breitling's new SuperOcean Heritage ’57 Pastel Paradise Capsule Collection for women actually stems from a 1950s diver's watch for men. Now, however, it has transformed into a high quality, incredibly fashionable new timepiece. With the introduction of this series, Breitling is proving itself to be truly with the times, not to…
The Wempe Signature Collection was borne out of a desire for the Hamburg-based luxury retailer to take the leap from founding its own watch production almost 20 years ago, to becoming an internationally coveted collector's brand with limited special models. Will it succeed? Time will tell. Either way, the collection serves as an ode to…
Editor Catherine Bishop discovers the timepieces setting new standards for the Swiss watch industry; gains insights from Breitling’s Global Head of Sustainability into the company’s lab-grown diamonds; and recounts a trip to a castle with new Breitling envoy, Hereditary Princess Cleo von Oettingen. A night out with Breitling and Cleo’s Midnight Tales Close to the…
This article is going to take a little trip back into the past. We are going to head back about 40 years – more specifically, to the year 1972. An excellent designer by the name of Gerald Genta had just made a name for himself in the watch industry. Almost overnight, he had dreamt up…
Omega has just introduced us to its latest novelties across a range of collections. Swisswatches Magazine had the opportunity to get Omega CEO and President Raynald Aeschlimann's take on OMEGA's brand new pieces, plans for the future, and how the horology house coped with change throughout 2020. On preserving its icons... Early into the conversation,…
When it comes to expanding Parmigiani Fleurier's clientele, it seems it's not all about fast and furious growth. Recently installed CEO Guido Terreni, leading the manufacture since the start of 2021, evidently prides himself upon creating a customer base that is not necessarily far-reaching, but rather fits with the company's values. "We are choosing an…
These days, Vacheron Constantin seems to reach new heights every five minutes. Ever more in the eyes of the public and not just connoisseurs, the horology house recently burst through the billion-franc mark, as it achieved a phenomenal 1.097 billion Swiss francs in sales. According to Morgan Stanley’s annual watch report, this amounts to an average watch…
Since its inception in 1995, Roger Dubuis has been a pioneer in the luxury watchmaking industry, continuously pushing boundaries and redefining standards. Through (almost) it all, the company has been home to Gregory Bruttin, who first came to Roger Dubuis in 2002. We caught up with Bruttin to discuss the significant changes in the company’s…
Fans of classic wristwatches always get their fill in spring and autumn, because in May and November, the biggest houses hold their auctions in Geneva. Phillips, Christies, Antiquorum and Sotheby's each hammer out hundreds of watches, meaning it’s guaranteed that there will be something for everyone. For the past three years or so, however, the…
Before getting to TUDOR chronographs, let us start at the very beginning of the history of TUDOR. Almost 100 years ago, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf decided to pursue a new enterprise. As many watch aficionados will be able to quote, he determined to create a watch ‘at a more modest price’ than its Rolex siblings,…
The Dragon is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals appearing in the Chinese calendar’s zodiac. It’s an important one, too. The Year of the Dragon is largely seen as one of the most powerful, lucky years in the Chinese zodiac, symbolising strength, fortune and success. From Shanghai to London’s Chinatown, people around the world recently…
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Rolex GMT-Master, we turn our attention to a model line originally developed to meet the demands of intercontinental air travel—one that has long since become a staple among sporty stainless-steel wristwatches. In this article, we explore the technical evolution of the GMT-Master, explain how the time zone mechanism…