Question for Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm Tribute owners: Has anyone swam with it?

[daOnlyBG]

Hello all, this question is for the owners (current or previous) of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to Deep Sea Alarm wristwatch.

As it's supposed to be modeled after the original limited edition one, it was a bit disappointing to research the watch and read that the manufacturer (JLC) advised owners to not actually go diving with the Deep Sea Alarm; rather, in the manual, they advise the owners to limit water exposure to a soft wade in a swimming pool.

This same manual gives the technical specification that the watch is water resistant to 100m.

So... what's up with that?

Have any of you actually swam with the watch? Were you able to dive with it, say, up to 50-60m? Would someone be able to swim with it (not dive, but swim) in, say, salt water?

Thanks in advance.

[dnpina]

How disappointing to read.

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[nevergiveup]

If thats true that watch is a joke ! Named Deep sea and only wade softly in a pool come on.

[vman]

I'd follow the manufacturer guidelines on this one. JLC has had some quality issues...

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by dnpina

How disappointing to read.

I agree. It's not a cheap watch and its aesthetics nail the original, but I wouldn't want to take a rare $60K vintage watch anywhere near water.

Just curious if anyone's had experience swimming with it.

[psv]

OK, I've owned both, and I only kept the Sea-Dweller (ref # 116600, I've also owned the Deepsea and SD16600 before).

I had the US dial version, it is a lovely watch in many aspects, but let's face it, it is not really a dive watch by modern standards. It is a fun retro-piece to wear, but it is overpriced for what it is.

There are a number of issues design-wise that keeps it from making a serious dive tool, e.g. the crowns are not screw-down, nor are they protected by any crown guards; the crystal is acrylic which feels a bit less safe than a sapphire one, also more prone to scratches, etc.

Lastly, you are going to dive down to 50-60 meters? That is some serious diving, I'd much rather take down a Sea-Dweller as a backup to my dive computer.

Net/net: if you like the design and size of the JLC, and don't mind spending $10K on a tribute piece, then by all means, go ahead and get one - and enjoy it. To me, the tribute pieces never last because they aren't the real thing. Either I buy modern or I buy vintage, tribute is a bit half-baked/in the middle.

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by psv

I had the US dial version, it is a lovely watch in many aspects, but let's face it, it is not really a dive watch by modern standards. It is a fun retro-piece to wear, but it is overpriced for what it is.

Yes, the US dial is the one I'm after- and yes, I do think $10-12K seems excessive. I'm guessing that has something to do with the limited availability.

Originally Posted by psv

There are a number of issues design-wise that keeps it from making a serious dive tool, e.g. the crowns are not screw-down, nor are they protected by any crown guards; the crystal is acrylic which feels a bit less safe than a sapphire one, also more prone to scratches, etc.

Hey, fair enough.

Originally Posted by psv

Lastly, you are going to dive down to 50-60 meters? That is some serious diving, I'd much rather take down a Sea-Dweller as a backup to my dive computer.

In all honesty... no, I probably wouldn't dive that deep. I'm thinking 10-20 meters, tops. Like, it'd be cool to swim with it in the ocean/sea, maybe snorkel, or some pretty novice/elementary scuba diving.

Do you think it'd be OK for that? (sorry if this seems like such a naive question- again, I ask it out of conflicting things said in the manual)

Originally Posted by psv

Net/net: if you like the design and size of the JLC, and don't mind spending $10K on a tribute piece, then by all means, go ahead and get one - and enjoy it. To me, the tribute pieces never last because they aren't the real thing. Either I buy modern or I buy vintage, tribute is a bit half-baked/in the middle.

See, as Rolex enthusiasts/lovers/WIS, we naturally gravitate toward "tribute pieces," they're just not called tribute pieces- and to be fair, they're upgraded in some way. The 6-digit Sub is an improvement on the 5-digit Sub, which in turn is an improvement on the 4-digit Sub. But the overall aesthetic and functional design is still there.

Here, it seems like the JLC reissue/tribute is simply not as good as the original (which was, if I remember correctly, pressure rated to 200m. How ironic.) However, it is substantially cheaper than an original and the lume plots work.
So yeah, I'd probably get one- heaven knows I'd love an alarm function- but I do hope I'd be able to... you know... take it into the water while I'm on vacation and not worry about a water leakage.