Reply With QuoteI’m glad to see it found an appreciative owner - a great watch.
Just arrived from SC... this Mark XII is in very good nick, having just had a full service done, and is well on its way to developing some really excellent tritium patina. On a nice chocolate brown strap it's a pure dose of understated class.
As a bonus, now I can legitimately claim to be a Jaeger LeCoultre owner - after a fashion, anyhow - as the Mark XII has a JLC movement inside.
I’m glad to see it found an appreciative owner - a great watch.
Awesome XII, looks like the lume will age well
The best of the modern 'Mark ..' IWCs.
Well bought and from a good guy, too.
Very nice indeed - if you ever feel like moving it on please PM me
Classy.
I'm looking out for a MK XVI but I'm starting to question that now.......
nice date window!
class is not water
Simple and clean, but not convinced about the strap.
Gorgeous watch. That's why I love IWC, so classy.
Lovely watch, sheer understated class.......
That's a beautiful timeless watch in great condition. Enjoy wearing it.
Looks fantastic and I wish that it was on my wrist.
Yes, IWC's use of the JLC movement in the XII makes the later XVI's ETA look not quite so good, doesn't it?Originally Posted by GOAT
Very nice.
Congrats.
Thanks to all for the kind words. It is really a lovely thing and I'm happy to have it in my collection.
I think I would also have been happy with a Mark XV, if bought at the right price. The extra 2 mm diameter would not have been unwelcome, and note that I say this as one who owns many 36mm watches. However, the JLC movement in the Mark XII elevates it above all models that followed, in my view. Not to mention, for my money the XV Spitfire, XVI, and XVII are right out.
To number2 - I'm happy to listen to strap suggestions! I prefer brown over black, and so I thought this dark brown Hirsch Merino split the difference nicely.
Welcome to the XII owner's club. Mine's been my favourite watch since I bought it in 1998.
One thing I would say on the JLC vs modifed ETA question alluded to above is that the JLC movement in the XII can be a bit "finnicky" - the minute hand can jump half a minute when you push the crown in, which is aggravating. I did have a XV with an ETA movement for a while, and that was more accurate, allegedly more robust and a bit more practical. But it didn't feel so silky smooth to wind as the XII does.
[edit - intended as a reply to a post which has now been deleted]
Many years ago there was a discussion about it on Timezone, and someone claimed there was a "knack" to setting it - it's definitely a common problem with them, if not universal. That said I can't remember if I've seen the same issue since it came back from a service last year - I nearly always set the time by waiting for real time to catch up, then giving it a gentle shake! One of the reasons that I don't like dates on watches, but that's a different discussion.
Just found a reference to the same phenomenon on the IWC forum, from 2004:
http://www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/8084/
"Doing it in this way (and being careful to only turn the hands back to set the time) will make sure the minute hand doesn't jump when the crown is depressed... "
Last edited by monogroover; 16th November 2015 at 17:19. Reason: clarity
In fact I've just found a conversation on Timezone about this that I took part in myself, in 2001:
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php...o=511937&rid=0
At that time I had a JLC Master Date and an Inge with essentially the same JLC movement as the XII. They all exhibited the same behaviour.
Thanks monogroover for the references. Next time I need to set the watch I shall try the trick of taking up the gear lash before depressing the crown. Good info.
workahol, I remember now that there was some JLC 889/IWC 884-bashing 15 or 20 years ago.
IIRC, IWC's instructions were to set the minute hand backwards (which I do with all watches, anyway).
Congratulations on your excellent purchase. A beautiful watch.
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