The Life of a Watch Enthusiast KH: "Jaeger-LeCoultre has a story behind it."

KH has been a watch enthusiast for nearly half a century. Starting with a Rolex he bought in his third year of high school, he has recently expanded his collection to center on Jaeger-LeCoultre. He is not only a collector, but also a meticulous watch enthusiast who creates his own maintenance schedule to manage all of his watches, including those of his family. His love and dedication to watches is extraordinary, but there seems to be something about watches that drives him to do so. They are not just objects, but are like family.

"The watch is as cute as my child. I'll never let it go."

　KH, now in his mid-60s, first purchased his own Rolex watch 50 years ago in 1971. K, who was still a third-year high school student, bought an Oyster Date from Nisshindo, a long-established watch store in Ginza. He admired one his friend had and wanted one himself, so he bought it over four installments, recalling fondly the memory of that time. It could be said that he was quite different from the average high school student at the time, who usually had affordable Japanese-made watches given to them by their parents as gifts for entering school. He clearly had a penchant for watches from a young age, but this Rolex was the first one he started buying himself.

　In 73, at the age of 20, Mr. K visited Zurich, Switzerland, on his first overseas trip. Upon arriving, he immediately started looking around for watches and purchased an automatic IWC model. This was at a time when people were beginning to turn their backs on mechanical watches, seeing them as outdated, so we can assume he was quite the watch enthusiast. Then, in 91, nearing the end of his 30s, he also acquired an oval-cased Patek Philippe and a dressy, simple Vacheron Constantin watch.

　For Mr. K, these watches are like a prologue to his love of watches, but he can still talk in detail about each one because he has kept careful records of when and where he bought them. He has cherished all the watches he has bought and still has them with him today. He has never sold any of them.

"My watch is just as precious as my child, so I'll never let it go," she says, speaking passionately, which is quite impressive.

　It's not unusual for collectors to keep records of their collections. However, what makes Mr. K unique is that he keeps a list of all the watches he owns, including not only his own but also those of his wife and children, and maintains a special table on his computer that shows at a glance when maintenance is due, every five years. His love of watches extends to the point where he keeps a record of the health of his precious timepieces, so to speak.

"You can tell the condition of a clock by listening to its sound. If it's in good condition, it will tick, and if it's time for maintenance, it will clang."

　I'm impressed by the "health management" of the watch, but this is the first time I've met someone who finds enjoyment in listening to the "heartbeat" of a watch and judging its condition. I've never met anyone as thorough as this among the watch lovers around me, and even I, who consider myself a watch enthusiast, have never been so obsessed with it.

　Currently, Mr. K's collection includes the already mentioned Rolex, IWC, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin, as well as limited edition models from Breguet, Blancpain, FP Journe, and Tiffany, as well as Speake-Marine, but the majority of his collection is Jaeger-LeCoultre. His collection totals around 30 watches, and an astonishing 50 including those belonging to his family. The luxury watches, neatly stored in collection boxes, are all in such good condition that they could be mistaken for new, even though they are all used.

"In the 70s, I usually wore a Rolex, but after looking at the Illustrated Guide to the World's Finest Watches and watch magazines, I became interested in Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Jaeger-LeCoultre brand has a story to tell. Its appeal lies in its elegance, and in the individuality that makes it instantly recognizable as a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, as well as its in-house movements. It's the same with cars, like a Ferrari with its fascinating engine."

　The table is packed with Jaeger-LeCoultre collection boxes, including the iconic Master and Reverso, as well as the Geographic and Memovox watches, the AMVOX, a collaboration with luxury car maker Aston Martin, the Duomètre with its unique and complex movement, and various perpetual calendars. The sight is truly spectacular. K is particularly careful to ensure his perpetual calendar never stops, as he "want it to function properly every four years, even during the leap year." This is a major event that only perpetual calendars can experience. Seeing K solemnly wind the perpetual calendar for four years, enjoying the thrill of knowing the calendar will never slip, even on March 1st of a leap year, is a testament to his character.

　As for Jaeger-LeCoultre's complicated watches, in addition to perpetual calendars, he also owns several tourbillons. When he acquired a tourbillon, he thought that this would mark his retirement from watch collecting, but he says, "This model has a wonderful understated design that makes it suitable for everyday use, even though it's a tourbillon. I also like the pride and satisfaction that comes from owning a tourbillon."

　When collecting complicated watches, one would normally move from perpetual calendars to tourbillons, and then move on to minute repeaters, the pinnacle of mechanical watches, but he says he's not ready for that yet. For K, who also enjoys listening to the mechanical sounds of watches, a minute repeater would be perfect, but since this may be his final year of true graduation, he is cautious and thinks it would be best to save it for a future enjoyment.

　However, as is typical of K, who is a self-proclaimed music lover, the watch he was wearing on the day of the interview was the classic alarm watch, the Memovox. It is a popular vintage model from the 70s, but has been perfectly maintained and still produces a beautiful tone. Apart from watches, his hobby is watching musicals, which he apparently attends 40 to 50 times a year both in Japan and abroad, showing his passion for the sport. For K, musicals may be just as much about enjoying the sound as watches.