A monumental post
So much history and detail
Your usual inimitable effort, commentary and pictures...a big thanks for this unveiling
On to the watches...
LIKES:
-->A new movement! Thank you JLC for respecting the Geophysic heritage by creating a technically interesting movement. Something fresh and new!
-->Movement aesthetics. Interesting to look at. One can see some of the innerworkings of the true-second mechanism.
-->Automatic rotor. JLC has finally created a worthy rotor. Excellent choice to make it solid gold. Definitely adds some well-needed luxury to the piece.
-->Cases. The cases are well done. Love the polished and brushed surfaces.
-->The case sizes. Approx. 39.5 mm and 41.5 mm are very nice sizes (though perhaps the UT could have been a bit smaller). Overall nice presence without being too imposing. Both the UT and TS seem to embody a classic yet modern size.
-->The UT dial is gorgeous. I can't wait to see it at the JLC boutique near me.
DISLIKES:
-->The TS is just downright boring. Looks like a boring quartz watch, and with the second hand movement to match. I feel any seconde morte piece should be more aesthetically interesting to overcome the yoke of the quartz aesthetic. Overall, I think the TS is too much of a throwback to the Geomatic, which looks very dated to my eyes. This illustrates how they got it right with the TT Geophysic. A good tribute yet not boring or dated at all.
-->Wording on the TS dial. Should have omitted the two lines on the lower half of the dial. The watch would have been much classier. Those words could easily have been added to the case back.
-->Give us some polished beveling on the movement. Too expensive to omit polishing here. A mistake by JLC in my opinion, and something that is holding the movement back from really "wowing" me.
-->Hour is adjusted independently at the first position of the crown. BUT, how does the hour hand synch up in the correct position with the minute hand if its a continuous hour hand movement rather than a jumping hour hand movement. AM I WRONG HERE? If not, then JLC has made a grave mistake given its focus on precision.
NEUTRALS:
-->I understand the technical innovation, but not sure I can get used to the quartz-like steps of the second hand.
-->The screws in the dial on the UT. They don't bother me as much as they seem to bother others. I'll have to see them in person to decide whether they are really offensive. As noted, the least JLC could do is to align the slots in the screws.
-->The hands, while not my favorite are OK. They seem less boring on the UT than on the TS.
Thanks again for the great unveiling.
Cheers,
John