The modern Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris model debuted six years ago.
Since then, new versions have appeared, including a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a model with the Mariner Memovox alarm. However, a multi-time-zone version was missing from the revived lineup - until today. The Polaris Geographic is a travel watch featuring one of Jaeger-LeCoultre's signature complications. One glance at the new model confirms it's a "JLC", just as with the Reverso. Not only the dial layout but also the placement of the two crowns is typical for the brand. This raises the question of why it took the manufacturer from Le Sentier six years to create these functional luxury sports watches that proudly showcase the diving heritage of the 1960s in a stylish and modern manner.
The offset-centered hands, box-style crystal, narrow bezel on a robust case with clear lines, polished and matte surfaces, and a dial that at first glance seems complex but is very easy to read... Yes, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic are watches you won't confuse with any others. You won't even mistake them for the 39mm Master Geographic from 2017 with a sector dial or the current 40mm Master Control Geographic - watches that also use variants of caliber 939, leading to a similar dial layout. The Polaris version is not only larger - 42 mm - but also has a sturdier case. The color and texture of the dial are also completely different. The Polaris dial has no less than 35 layers of lacquer, but we'll come back to that later.
World Travelers and Deep Divers: Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic
The foundation of the Polaris Geographic is a robust 42 x 11.54 mm case, water-resistant to 200 meters. It has a rather simple shape, but its matte and polished surfaces are excellently crafted. This is to be expected from a brand like JLC and at such a price point, but like the lacquer on the dial, we will discuss this case in more detail later.
Moving from the case to the watch dial, we see skeletonized hands, bold Arabic numerals, and long trapezoidal indices. All are equipped with Super-LumiNova luminescent coating and complement the expressive dial with various apertures. Now let's move on to the dial finish. The fumé effect is perhaps a polarizing detail of these Polaris (pun intended). The gradient ocean-gray lacquer color makes purists claim that such a dial has no place in watches that are, at heart, tool watches. Others do not mind the smoky effect because it looks rich and luxurious on watches that are clearly luxury items.
The deep gray dial received opaline, grained, and sunray finishes under no less than 35 layers of shiny lacquer. The result may be polarizing, but it creates a very dynamic dial with impressive visual depth. And what about those small orange details? Gray and orange colors go well together, but I wonder if a monochrome dial would have been better. You already have a fumé dial and many textures to visually work with.
Complex and Functional Polaris Geographic
Through the sapphire crystal on the case back, you can observe the finely finished automatic caliber 939. This in-house developed movement has a 70-hour power reserve and displays hours, minutes, seconds, time in one of 24 time zones, a power reserve indicator, and a day/night indicator. Once you familiarize yourself with the placement of each function on the dial, the Polaris Geographic will be easy and quick to read. For example, the second time zone is located on an additional dial with hour and minute hands, a day/night indicator on the left, and the corresponding city directly below it.
Setting the time zone is also not extraordinary. The crown at 3 o'clock is used to set the local time and the minute hand of the second time zone. The one located at 10 allows simultaneous adjustment of the ring with 24 city names and the second time zone hours. Both crowns are large, making them very easy to operate, as should be the case in sports watches.
Yes, despite the price of the Polaris Geographic being €17,600 - definitely in the luxury class - these are also sports watches capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of everyday active wear. What do you think not only about the price but also about the concept of Geographic in Polaris watches? Was it long overdue or not?
PS - Polaris Date and Perpetual Calendar models are also presented in new versions.
Nothing special, but the Polaris Date model is now released with a gradient dial covered in ocean gray lacquer. Reference Q9068650, like other Date versions, has a 200-meter water-resistant case with a diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 13.92 mm - by the way, thicker than the more complex Geographic. Inside the case is the automatic caliber 899, displaying hours, minutes, seconds, date, and with a 70-hour power reserve. The presence of an internal rotating bezel should not be surprising, as should the black rubber strap and the price of €12,100.
We have already seen the Polaris Perpetual Calendar in a pink gold case sized 42 x 11.97 mm, but never with a gradient green lacquered dial. These complex sports watches are equipped with the automatic caliber 868, which displays hours, minutes, seconds, a perpetual calendar (day, date, month, year), and moon phases in both hemispheres.
And again, despite their complexity, these watches are thinner than the much simpler Polaris Date. The QP version, reference Q908263J, is water-resistant to 100 meters and comes with both a green rubber and a black alligator leather strap priced at €57,000. More detailed information can be found on the official Jaeger-LeCoultre website.