JLC vs Glashütte Original?

[stolpioni]

Which brand would you put above the other in terms of quality and prestige?

[kdphan]

Jlc

[nick c]

Jlc as well

[RHJ]

JLC, the movement maker for the holy trinity for a long long time. GO was acquired as a brand, there is no real ongoing history

[Hollister]

JLC. I like GO, but, well it has to be JLC. Just because.

[beshannon]

JLC because of their history of supplying movements to Patek, Vacheron and others.

[GB-man]

JLC for the reasons mentioned above. That said, GO makes some nice stuff for reasonable prices.

[wach16]

JLC but I am bit biased. That being said, the ultra high end JLC pieces (gyrotourbillon, etc) can go toe to toe with any brand out there

[themast]

Prestige, JLC.

Quality, I think they are on par.

I own a GO and I admire both brands.

[themast]

Originally Posted by RHJ

GO was acquired as a brand, there is no real ongoing history

Well, GO does not have JLC horological history but it has an interesting historical and industrial history rooted in the German watchmaking tradition.

[Boothroyd]

JLC for me, but some of that preference has to do with familiarity and time researching the brand.

[chessebj]

JLC. I say that as a JLC owner who has come close to buying GO a couple times, but their watches that I'd otherwise be interested, while intriguing (and like "themast" says, GO has its own history, though it's certainly not like JLC's!), are just a bit too chunky for the price, for my tastes.

[1William]

Jlc.

[RHJ]

Originally Posted by themast

Well, GO does not have JLC horological history but it has an interesting historical and industrial history rooted in the German watchmaking tradition.

Interrupted by 46 years and restarted only with investor money and the brand name..

[Cru Jones]

To answer your question, from a WIS perspective, gotta be JLC, even if GO has some good models. However, both are owned today by major watch conglomerates.

[themast]

Originally Posted by RHJ

Interrupted by 46 years and restarted only with investor money and the brand name..

A testament of the strength of the watchmaking tradition in Glashuette.

Personally, I find it fascinating and I like to wear my Spezichron from the DDR times. A piece of the 20th century history on my wrist, I was a kid when the wall came down etc. etc.

[Jocke]

I'm a bit biased too but I do not like comparing the brands in this way. I think you should buy what appeals to you because the
taste is different. It will be just an endless discussion when comparing the brands.

[Hollister]

I'm wearing my steel 37mm JLC RDM for the first time in months, and it's really beyond criticism. So smart, it's actually my default black-tie watch even though I have a couple of Pateks and a Journe. If I was ever to meet the Queen, it's the one I would wear.

JLC is known as the watchmakers' watchmaker.

I do like GO, but have never had the balls to buy one. Oddly, the GO designs remind me of JLC, and that's a compliment.

[McLovin]

Jlc

[masyv6]

JLC by a good margin

[AK797]

I would buy a GO before a JLC, but obviously the JLC brand is very strong and even has Justin Timberlake in the watchmaker's family according to Bad Teachers.

[Thomasm144]

I own a GO. It's a great watch. Aesthetically, and in terms of movement finishing, I think it rivals any of JLC's similar sports model offerings. I think that, in terms of quality, they are on par, at least as far as their sports models go.

I think GO has a great future, and, 50-100 years from now, once they get a real track record of quality and innovation established, I could easily see them being ranked alongside JLC and the like. Right now they're still in the embryo stage, it seems.

That being said, owning one GO is enough for me.

[regnant]

Jaeger Le Coultre, a more prestigious brand and I had heard that it was the watchmakers of the watchmakers

[vman]

In my opinion, the brands are on par with each other. I own both JLC and GO. I have also looked at numerous models from both of the manufacturers and it is hard to say that one brand is better than the other in general. Please keep in mind that I am not qualified to dissect the intimate details of the movements and my feedback is based solely on my experience with handling the watches and dealing with GO and JLC services.

The entry level models like Master Control Date and Senator Sixties are on the same step. On this level, the degree of finish, the comfort, and the overall quality is on par.

Mid-range models are a bit more interesting. GO has offerings that are a bit more unique and truly German if you will. PanoMaticLunar and PanoReserve lines bring a touch of Glashutte. The movements are well decorated, the bracelets are superb. These watches ooze a degree of warmth and Germanic tradition. Jaeger shines in the execution of classic complications. Master Calendar and Master Geographic are really well-made pieces, but when you turn them over, the movements look a tad more sterile when compared to GO. Also, I love how GO executes a date complication. It is remarkable that given all that expertise in watch making we still see bland white date dials from many manufacturers.

High-range is where you get the split. Both brands offer unique complications but Jaeger takes the cake for having a sports line, more extensive technology (think Master Exterme Lab 2), and timepieces with high bling factor. GO's Datograph is nothing to but spectacular. However, Jaeger has more breadth here. If I had the option, that's where I would spend the money.

I could not decide which brand to get, so I ended up getting GO and Jaeger. Both of my timepieces have been great so far and when I needed something from the service (e.g., parts, warranty inquiries), I received prompt responses and excellent service. It is also worth noting that GO just came out with a new line, Senator Excellence, that comes with movements that boast 100 hour power reserve. I like where this brand is going. If you want to learn more, my advice is to hit up a few ADs and make a choice.

Peace,

P.S. The lack of history on behalf of GO is nonsense. The area around Glashutte is the cradle of German watchmaking with Lange, Glashutte Original, Nomos Glashutte, Moritz Grossman, and other brands sharing the same heritage. It is true that the company's history had an interrupt, but the break does not take away from the tradition that has formed in that region.

[Golden Ellipse]

I like them both.

For those in the “GO has no history” camp, please also be sure to stay away from Voutilainen, Nomos, MB&F, and a host of other well-regarded newbies that clearly don’t deserve our collective TRF approval!

[themast]

For people interested in knowing more about GO history and models, the thread below provides a lot of information

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=484006