If You Want a Sporty Luxury Watch, Turn to Jaeger-LeCoultre's Polaris Date
When Jaeger-LeCoultre's Polaris collection was launched last year, it was a forward-thinking line that combined sport and elegance. And, it also proved to be a success—so much so, that the Swiss watchmaker extended the collection with the limited-edition Polaris Date.
"It was a test," says Iñigo Ohlsson, Jaeger-LeCoultre's managing director of Southeast Asia and Oceania. "It's big, it's growing and growing. There's more demand and interest in the Polaris collection. This year, we decided to go one step further with this limited-edition of the Polaris Date."
The Polaris Date has a lot of history for the manufacturer. It pays tribute to the Polaris that was launched in 1970. While the same aesthetic goals, colors, and dial degradation remain, the latest release caters to a different gentleman. It's a lot more sporty.
Sure, the blue rubber Clous de Paris strap lends plenty to the overall sportiness of the timepiece. It is, however, on the inside that you'll find more of these elements. The Arabic numerals, trapezoidal hour markers, and baton-style hands have been treated with Super-LumiNova to help with low-light scenarios. Then, there's the stainless steel case that measures 42mm in diameter and is water-resistant up to 200 meters.
The real highlight of the Polaris Date is its graduated dial and rich shades of blue. It's special in many ways: It's hand-lacquered and finished with a sunrayed, grained, and opaline double-gradient. From deep turquoise to royal blue, the central disc and main dial also have a shimmering, color-changing effect when viewed from different angles.
"When you see a picture of the dial you see a beautiful blue dial, but when you look at the watch itself, you realize the complexity—all the layers that are involved in creating the dial," says Ohlsson.
Its technical details include a self-winding mechanical movement that has a power reserve of 38 hours. You'll also find a closed caseback with four special engravings: a Scuba diving insignia, the Jaeger-LeCoultre crest, and the phrases "1000 Hours Control," and "Limited Edition - One of 800." The 800, of course, is a reference to how limited it is.
The Polaris Date is on sale now at the Lucerne and L'Atelier Lucerne. Good luck picking up this 800-piece limited-edition Jaeger-LeCoultre.
