Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the most respected horological brands in the world. Based in Le Sentier (Vallee de Joux) since 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a true manufacture with the capability to produce mechanical movements, from start to finish, in-house. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s range of movements is so extensive, in fact, that they are often referred to as the “Grande Maison.”

The Master Control, like the Reverso, is a timeless Jaeger design. The Master Control features a fully polished 40 mm x 8.5 mm case that is available in either gold or stainless steel (shown above), with a solid fixed bezel. This particular version was made circa 2005 (Ref. 147.8.37) and is powered by a 32-jewels caliber 899 automatic movement which runs at 28,800 vph and has a power reserve of 45 hours.

The movement is visible through the clear caseback and includes hand finishing, blued screws and a steel/22k gold oscillating weight (rotor is unidirectional and sits on ceramic ball bearings). For increased durability, the balance spring is laser welded to the stud and collet. Functions include: hours, minutes, center seconds and date. The dial is silver with steel indices and luminous dots marking the hours. The center sweeping seconds hand is in blued steel. The strap is brown leather with a steel folding clasp. Water-resistance is 50 meters (164 ft).

If you shop around on the pre-owned market you can find a stainless steel Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control, like the one shown above, for $4,000 – $5,000.