La Joux-Perret Caliber LJP-G100

The La Joux-Perret caliber LJP-G100 is a Swiss made automatic 3-hander movement with 24 jewels, beating at 28,800 vph.

Tungten Rotor:

The G100 rotor is ball-bearing style with 3 screws holding it in place (similar to the Miyota 9 series). It is made from solid tungsten. Tungsten is the heaviest naturally occurring metal (source), which is likely where the 3 screw design comes into play.

Furlan Marri, a watch brand that lists the G100 (actually a no-date calibre G101?) as powering their Sector line of automatic watches says this about the rotor:

“… a full tungsten rotor with palladium coating ensures smooth rotation and weight distribution.” –source

ETA Clone

Is the G100 a clone of the 2824-2?

No, the G100 is NOT an ETA 2824-2 clone.

2824-2 Replacement?

Although not an exact clone of the ETA 2824-2, the LJP (or MLJP) G100 is pitched as a direct replacement option for the 2824-2 or SW200-1 due to sharing similar dimensions. In fact, LJP goes as far as stating that the G100 s 100% compatible with the 2824-2 (source).

In MLJP’s own words:

“In this, very special year 2020, MLJP’s two standards – the G100 and L100 movements – have been revised. The products just launched by La Joux-Perret are not only more cost-effective, but also feature an increased power reserve. MLJP responds to existing market needs in a coherent manner with its latest developments.” –source

Miyota 9015 Clone?

As mentioned above, the G100 is not an ETA clone – however, it is more like a Swiss made Miyota 9015 clone with 2824-2 dimensions. It should be noted that 9015 and 2824 are both 11.5”’, but the 9015 is slightly slimmer at 3.9mm vs 4.6mm. Perhaps this is the reason the G100 comes in slightly slimmer than the 2824-2 (at least on paper).

Other similarities between the 9015 and G100 are: both have a jewel count of 24, both have the same 3 screw ball-bearing rotor design, both appear to have a very similar design overall.

Differences include the Miyota using Citizen’s Paraflex anti-shock and the G100 using the Swiss made KIF device. The G100 has a screw style fine tuning device on the regulator, the 9015 does not. The 9015 has a power reserve of 42 hours, the G100 offers 68 hours of running time. Accuracy of the Miyota 9015 averages at -10 to +30 seconds per day compared to the lowest grade of G100 at +/-12 sec/day (see below).

What MLJP says about 2824-2 compatibility:

“The G100 automatic movement has been entirely developed to meet tomorrow’s standards. With a diameter of 25.6 mm, it aims to be traditional and aligned with the most common size in mechanical watchmaking, this guaranteeing a total compatibility with the casings of the 2824, the best selling Swiss movement in the world.” -source

When reading this quote from MLJP’s marketing materials, keep in mind that there is more to caliber compatibility than the overall diameter of the movement. Other factors to take into consideration are the overall height of the movement, the position of the stem and whether or not it will match the placement of the casetube, and dial feel locations. While they didn’t go deep enough into technicalities with the statement above, hopefully their compatibility guarantee also covers those specs.

Note: despite the word “compatible” being thrown around to market this movement, that does not entail parts compatibility.

G100 VS 2824-2:

The main difference performance-wise that MLJP touts about their G100 compared to the ETA 2824-2 is an increase in power reserve.

“Its new power reserve of 68 hours, 80% more than the 2824 or the SW-200, as well as its high-end decorations and complications give this new movement clear advantages.” –source

Thickness may be another difference between the two movements: ETA (and Sellita) tech sheets stats the thickness of the 2824-2 is 4.6mm, whereas MLJP says the thickness of the G100 is 4.45mm. Other differences are that the 2824-2 has 25 jewels and the G100 has 24 (the Sellita SW200-1 has 26).

Grades of G100:

Similar to how ETA and Sellita offer different grades of movement based on finish, testing and accuracy, MLJP also offers multiple grades. When contrasting low and high grade options, the G100 is available in Standard grade or Soigne. Soigne is the label given to their highest grade.

Accuracy Rating:

Using the aforementioned grades to compare accuracy, MLJP claims that the accuracy of the G100 Standard version is tested in 3 positions with timekeeping averaging out to +/-12 seconds per day with a maximum deviation of 30 seconds per day. The higher grade version is tested in 4 positions and times out to an average of +/-7 seconds per day with a max deviation of 20 sec/day.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, Caliber Corner was unable to find USA based watch parts suppliers with the G100 for sale, therefore a confirmed retail price is unavailable. There is a Switzerland based seller on eBay with a new G100 for sale priced at $295 USD. If this is any indication of actual pricing from the manufacturer, then it is not priced competitively against the SW200-1, although it may be worth it for your project if you desire the ability to offer a longer power reserve.

With the comparison made to the 9015 above, maybe it is better to approach this as Swiss version of the 9015 rather than a replacement for the 2824-2. If so, then you have to ask yourself if the price difference is worth it.

Video:

About Manufacture la Joux-Perret:

MLJP is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It is owned by Citizen Watch Group (Japan) as of April 2012 via acquisition of Prothor Holding SA.

Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Shares dimensions with popular movements
• Decent power reserve

Cons:

• Parts may not be easy to source
• Tech sheets and drawings not readily available
• Has not been on the market long enough for the community to share experiences with performance or serviceability

Concluding Thoughts:

The G100 is constantly being compared to the ETA 2824-2 an Sellita SW200-1 due to being Swiss made and of similar dimensions, but is it more accurate to call it a Swiss 9015? So far, it looks like only 2 microbrands are advertising this caliber, with the Zelos retailing below $1,000, so maybe the unit price is actually more affordable than the movement price quotes above.

Additional Resources:

• La Joux-Perret official site
• List of La Joux-Perret calibers

Not MJLP, JLP, MPJL