A devilishly handsome dress watch from LeCoultre with sweet dial symmetry, a unique crownless case profile capped in warm 10k yellow gold, and one of the most mechanically interesting automatic movements of the 1950’s. The Futurematic utilizes a bumper-style winding system, with an oscillating weight that swings bidirectionally through an approximate 190-degree angle. Other watch brands at the time – including Universal Genève – used similar bumper-wind mechanisms. However, the LeCoultre solution was arguably the most advanced, with a unique lever for hacking seconds (most 1950s automatic movements were non-hacking) and an innovative wire hook mechanism to prevent the mainspring from being overwound (as compared to a conventional slipping clutch). The Futurematic also features a special stopwork mechanism that engages the mainspring when approximately six hours of running autonomy remain. That means when the Futurematic is next worn, it will start running again immediately. Known as the first fully automatic watch without a crown, its distinguishing feature is a seemingly crownless case with no visible way to set the time or wind the movement. Instead of a typical three o'clock crown, the Futurematic features a small wheel on the caseback that's labeled "DON'T LIFT - SLIDE" and can be used to set the time. Swiss watch industry lore says that the research and development the Futurematic required from Jaeger-LeCoultre was exorbitant, and the brand never quite recouped its losses from sales of the model throughout the 1950s. Before you say it, yes this was written by Hodinkee. This example was found at a vintage shop in a small town in Wyoming. It has a replacement seconds hand and is in need of a service. A replacement crystal may be in store as well. Price: $499