Quote:
Originally Posted by hgb4529
Great knowledge in this tread! After researching the Jumbo for many years I finally bought the 15202/0944ST dark blue dial version last year. I love it and I think it's still under appreciated, which is good for buyers because it's the cheapest Jumbo available.
I love how the 0944 version has a thinner case (last of the monocoque case construction) and thinner bracelet than the 1240 version. The rehaut and bezel are also thinner, which allows for a thinner hand-stack. All of this creates the illusion of a more elegant look that rivals the original Jumbo, 5402. I also like that the 0944 version had its dials made by Patek (Stern Freres) on the original Lienhard guilloche copying machines before AP moved this in-house. The rotor and the 'AP' clasp is more attractive and the clasp more comfortable to wear IMO. From what I've read it seems like the 0944 version is the last Jumbo where hand-finishing was evident and before AP really started to expand production and focus on cost-cutting (AP made ~3x more 1240s than 0944s)
The 1240 version is an amazing watch, don't get me wrong. The 16202 is amazing too, but I think as time goes on, collectors will start to put a premium on the JLC 920/AP2121 movement. You mentioned that buying vintage is a minefield. I actually think buying 5402s is drastically easier than buying vintage Rolex. For 5402s you only have to look out for overpolished bezels and bracelets; and service dials and crowns. It's fairly straightforward. Best of luck in your journey!
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Glad to see some folks voicing appreciation for the 1st gen 15202 :-)
I also agree that the finishing in the 2nd gen 15202 started getting more "value engineered" (including the transition away from the monobloc case), while the 1st gen was closer to the 14802.
Your point about putting a premium on the 2121 movement: I don't know what collectors will value in the future (depends how much they dislike setting the date...), but one interesting less known "feature" is that you can interchange dials among all of the 2121 Jumbos. Some collectors customize their 15202s with 5402 service dials, for example. I have a 1st gen 15202 and modified it with a 14802 dial and a 2nd gen 1240 bracelet, creating a personal "remix" of my favorite features from multiple Jumbos.