SPECIFICATIONS
Rare Jenny Caribbean 2000 “Discochron” chronograph with a large steel case and a Valjoux 72 manual-winding chronograph movement, from the 1970s.
Steel case measuring 50mm
Original steel rotating bezel
Original logoed crown
Original chronograph pushers
Valjoux 72 movement inside
ANALYSIS
Jenny & Cie SA, and later Jenny & Caribbean Montre AG, was a major Swiss dive watch manufacturer based in Lengnau, Canton of Bern, in the 1960s and 1970s. Already between 1962 and 1963, the first Diver watches (15 models) were launched on the market, called “Caribbean”, which were tested to be water-resistant up to 30 atmospheres (“Caribbean 300”). In 1964, the company experimented with new formulas to make its watches even more waterproof, pushing them to depths of up to 700 metres (“Caribbean 700”). Around the mid-1960s, the “Caribbean 2000” arrived, a professional watch for extreme diving that boasted numerous patents, from the water-resistant monobloc case with rotating bezel, to the mineral glass pressed between the bezel and the case body, and up to the bezel that showed the decompression indicator. These numerous patents were granted in the late 1960s to numerous other manufacturers entering the ever-growing market for professional diving watches (including Doxa, Philip Watch, Ollech & Wajs, Fortis, Aquadive, and others). However, it was only in 1968/1969 that Jenny & Cie SA implemented the chronograph function on a maximum-depth diver’s watch: the “Discochron” was born.
This extremely rare watch, dating from 1969 to 1972, has a gigantic 50mm monobloc disc-shaped case. Its satin-finished profile is interrupted only on the right side, which houses the original crown with the stylized Marlin logo (a registered logo licensed for use by third parties) and the chronograph buttons. The underside of the case features the logo of the brand and the model, as well as the three patents this watch holds. Above the monobloc sits the rotating bezel, featuring four protrusions at the 15-minute mark, which allows for easy operation even while wearing gloves. Above this is a beautiful orange and black insert protected by plastic resin (mistakenly called Bakelite).
The dial features a spectacular three-dial subdial that emerges from the orange background (one of the most visible colors when diving, especially at great depths). Its surface is grained and features tritium-filled baton indexes set against black circles. The chronograph minute counter subdial is very interesting and rare, reminiscent – with its alternating yellow, red, and white colors – of regatta watches. The hour and minute hands are large, visible black pencils with luminescent paste inside; the chronograph hand has a striking triangular shape.
Beneath the glass and beneath the dial lies the formidable Valjoux 72 chronograph caliber, one of the most prized hand-wound movements in existence. It measures 13″ (29.5mm) wide, has 17 jewels, and runs at 21,600 vph (a frequency increased by the manufacturer in 1969).
