Why This Watch Matters This vintage chronograph is like an onion and with a tropical dial, like a caramelized onion. The Full Story LeJour was a French watch company that mainly retailed and distributed Swiss timepieces in Europe and the United States. Its most well-known partner was Heuer, but it was also the U.S. distributor for the brand Yema until 1980. The company also branded timepieces made by other Swiss watchmakers and sold the pieces under the LeJour name. Why are we talking about LeJour here? Rivita was another private label under the LeJour umbrella, branding watches as Rivita for some markets and LeJour for others. This example is one of the models that collectors look for from LeJour-branded chronographs. This Rivita's large, thick 39mm case, along with the thick elongated lugs with geometric angles, give a fantastic presence on the wrist. The narrow MH bezel creates more space for the beauty of the dial to shine through. Because of the thickness of the case, the dial seems deeply nestled inside the case, which adds an extra dimension to the overall appearance. The silver print and plump, well-aged lume plots really stand out against the tropicalized black, glossy dial. The bright red lollipop seconds hand features a rather large lume plot, and combined with the board arrow hour hand, the handset brings a charming character to the otherwise serious-looking timepiece. It is fitted with the well-respected Valjoux 7733 chronograph movement ensuring smooth and robust reliability, and the case and movement are signed by J.P. Pingouin Co – an importer for LeJour and Rivita at this time. We paired this Rivita chronograph with our Sedona watch strap in a dark brown tone that plays off of the chocolatey dial. The Fine Print Maker: RivitaModel: ChronographReference: N/AYear: 1960sCase No: N/AMaterial: Stainless steelDimensions: 39mm diameter; 14.3mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, tritiumCaliber: J.P. Pingouin Co signed Valjoux, manually-wound, caliber 7733Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE The Sedona Watch Strap In RattlesnakeLug Width: 19mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Tropical dial- Red "lollipop" seconds hand- Pops of color in overall design Things To Know: - Scratches on case- Case is polished This Rivita chronograph is in overall good, honest condition. The case is polished with scratches. The edges of the case have some light nicks. The rear of the lugs show some scratches from removal and placement of straps. The caseback has some scratches and a mark running through the center, most likely from a strap. The engravings and numbers on the caseback are clearly visible. The dial is in overall good condition with an overall tropical brown patina. The dial has a few imperfections, but they are hard to notice. The dial has developed patina around the hour markers too, this is also hard to notice. The hands have developed some patina. The lume on the dial has developed patina and aged to a creamy yellow color. The lume on the hands has developed patina and is a bit darker than that of the dial, particularly around the edges of the hour hand. The bezel is in overall good condition with some scratches and wear around the edges, it has some slight paint loss throughout. The case and movement are both correctly signed by J.P. Pingouin Co. The crystal has some scratches. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
