Introducing the Le Jour Skipper Chronograph Limited Edition

A few years back, I reviewed the Mark I 001 chronograph from Le Jour, a brand that had been revitalized decades after it had gone the way of the dodo as a result of the Quartz Crisis. My takeaway was that it was a really neat watch, and it was clear that the team behind this new era of Le Jour wanted to do things right and weren’t just banking on a name. 

Singapore retailer and Le Jour AD Gnomon Watches recently put out a limited edition dubbed the Skipper, an obvious nod to one of Heuer’s more famous chronographs. Most apparent is the 30-minute totalizer at twelve rendered in red, white, and blue, and the running seconds at nine which is depicted via simple crosshairs, just as it was on the original (in this case, the Autavia-cased Ref. 15640). Completing the Valjoux layout is the twelve-hour totalizer at six.

There’s a date window at three alongside some branding, which together feels a touch crowded. Furthermore, I think that the date window would have been better off without a frame, but altogether it’s not too obtrusive. For the lume nuts, there’s  C3 Super-LumiNova on the hands and dial.

Other than the immediately appealing color scheme, the Le Jour Skipper is, simply put, a nicely spec’d watch for the price. The 200-meter-rated case measures 42.5 millimeters across, 45.8 millimeters lug-to-lug, and 16 millimeters thick. It’s also 22 millimeters at the lugs. Up top is a flat sapphire crystal, around back is a solid screw down case back, and powering the watch is a Valjoux 7750, a time-tested workhorse. To learn more about the caliber, click here.

There are two editions—brushed/polished and matte (referring to the case finishing)—and as of this writing the former is sold out. The Matte edition is currently available, but I imagine not for too long with it being limited to just 20 units.

In my experience, these cases are well finished. The head alone weighs about 111 grams. On the bracelet, which can be purchased separately for $400, the watch comes in at 218 grams, which is quite hefty, although still comfortable. The package here comes with two vintage-style leather straps.

Coming in at $1,280, the Le Jour Skipper represents an excellent value at retail for a beautifully executed chronograph with a Valjoux caliber. I was seriously impressed with this series when I had the Mark I 001 in for review, so if you’re in the market for a retro-inspired chronograph that doesn’t (relatively) break the bank, then you should give this one a look. Gnomon and Le Jour

All images via Gnomon’s website.