Jaeger-LeCoultre Part 2: The Watches Built on JLC Movements
- Madeleine Etre
- Dec 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Teddy Tux, Safari Chronograph, Alfred Dunhill
Jaeger-LeCoultre has always been known as the watchmaker’s watchmaker. The brand built movements for other houses long before partnerships and collaborations became a marketing tool. Many collectors come to appreciate JLC only after discovering how many respected designs rely on their engineering.
Teddy Tux, Safari Chronograph, and Alfred Dunhill, three watches built with Jaeger-LeCoultre movements.
Part 2 of this series looks at three watches made by other brands but powered by JLC movements. Each one reflects a different branch of the watch world. Together they show how deeply JLC’s influence runs beyond its own catalog.
The Teddy Tux:
A Fashion House Watch with True Watchmaking Inside
The Polo Ralph Lauren Teddy Tux is a good example of how design and mechanical substance can meet. At a glance, it looks like a fashion piece built around a playful idea. The watch was inspired by the teddy bears gifted to Ralph Lauren and his brother Jerry, created by the German toy maker Steiff and dressed like them. The result is a dial that leans into personality rather than formality.
What makes the Teddy Tux different from most fashion watches is the movement inside. Instead of relying on an outsourced generic caliber, the watch uses a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement. That choice gives the piece real credibility among collectors who value what is happening behind the dial as much as the dial itself.
The Teddy Tux shows how JLC movements allowed non-traditional watch brands to introduce models that could satisfy design fans and mechanical purists at the same time.
The Safari Chronograph:
Design Inspired by Automotive Style, Powered by JLC
The Safari Chronograph is another example of Ralph Lauren using serious mechanics under a strong visual concept. The watch draws heavily from automotive design. The cases often feature pre-aged steel or gunmetal finishes, and the dials take cues from dashboard gauges. Canvas straps and a rugged overall presence complete the tone.
The Safari Chronograph blends automotive styling with a JLC-powered chronograph movement.
This type of watch could easily feel like pure styling, but the use of a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement gives it more depth. JLC’s chronograph movements have long been respected for their reliability and smooth operation. Placing one inside the Safari Chronograph advances the model from themed accessory to legitimate sports chronograph.
For collectors, that combination of bold design and respected mechanics creates a category that feels distinct, personal, and more substantial than it appears at first glance.
The Alfred Dunhill Watch:
A Quiet Collaboration with Serious Technical Roots
Alfred Dunhill is known for its history in motoring, leather goods, and refined accessories. The brand produced watches in limited numbers, often working with respected Swiss manufacturers. Many of these mid-century Dunhill watches were powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre movements.
A mid-century Alfred Dunhill watch featuring a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement inside a clean, understated case.
What makes these pieces appealing today is the balance between understated style and high-quality internal engineering. Dunhill watches tend to have clean dials, slim profiles, and classic proportions. The presence of a JLC movement inside creates an immediate shift in how collectors view them. These watches are discreet on the wrist, but they carry the same mechanical integrity found in JLC’s own catalog.
Dunhill’s collaboration with JLC is a reminder that some of the best vintage watch finds come from brands outside the usual collector radar, especially when they house movements from respected manufacturers.
How Collectors Evaluate JLC-Powered Watches
Collectors approach JLC-powered watches with many of the same standards they apply to JLC-branded pieces. Movement originality matters, especially in watches that were produced through collaboration. A correct movement that matches the watch’s era and intended reference always strengthens value.
The illustrated bear that inspired the Teddy Tux design, based on the Steiff teddy gifted to Ralph Lauren.
Condition is the next major factor. dials, hands, and case lines tell the story of how a watch has been treated over the years. With models like the Teddy Tux and Safari Chronograph, the aesthetics are part of the appeal, so sharp details and honest wear patterns matter. In Dunhill pieces, preservation of the slim profile and clean dial layout is especially important.
Collectors appreciate these watches because they represent a blend of creativity and technical legitimacy. The movement inside offers assurance, and the outward design gives each piece its own personality.
When Appraisal or Authentication Makes Sense
JLC-powered watches often surface in estates, mixed collections, or groups of items that were kept for sentimental reasons rather than investment. Appraisal is helpful when the movement needs verification, when the watch’s history is unclear, or when a piece has been out of service for many years.
Authentication also matters for collectors preparing to sell. Buyers want to know that the movement is the correct JLC caliber and that the watch’s components align with its period of production.
A Note on the Local Market
In Santa Fe, we occasionally see JLC-powered watches come through during consignment reviews or inherited collections. They stand out quickly because collectors understand the value of a respected movement, even when the branding on the dial belongs to another house.
Considering Consignment for a JLC Watch
Watches built with Jaeger-LeCoultre movements tend to perform well on consignment when they are complete, running properly, and carry original components. The collector audience for these pieces is informed and often looking for designs that combine individuality with reliable mechanics.
For anyone considering selling or evaluating a JLC-powered watch, Stephen’s provides authentication, movement verification, and guidance based on current collector demand.
The Influence Behind the Dial
JLC-powered watches tell an important part of the brand’s story. They represent a period when Jaeger-LeCoultre quietly shaped the industry from within, providing the engineering that allowed other brands to create watches with real substance.
Six watches that reflect JLC’s range, from the Memovox, LeCoultre, and Etrier to the Teddy Tux, Safari Chronograph, and Alfred Dunhill.
These collaborations reveal the depth of JLC’s influence and show why collectors often discover the full scope of the brand only after exploring the pieces it helped bring to life.