Amidst all the hoopla around Patek Philippe this week, another classic Swiss watchmaker, Jaeger-LeCoultre, released an elegant timepiece, reminiscent of a Calatrava.
The Master Ultra Thin Date Blue-Gray measures 39 mm x 7.8 mm which is sleek, Swiss, and tasteful just like a Calatrava.
Benefitting from Geneva stripes on the bridges, blued screws, and a gold skeletonized rotor, the caliber 899.1 is not unlike a Patek Philippe movement, as both share a traditional attractive Swiss aesthetic. The Jaeger-LeCoultre’s bridges have machine-beveled edges, whereas Patek finishes its edges in a preferable way (which makes a difference when considering cost and when louping out the movement). Still, the Jaeger-LeCoultre is significantly less than half the price of a Calatrava 5196G-001, albeit, in stainless steel versus white gold.
I’m not certain about the current popularity of dress watches considering the number of remote workers has risen greatly in recent years — and the workplace is more casual than ever. For those who want a dress watch, though, I am certain that the Master Ultra Thin Date Blue-Gray is a good option.
Visible through the caseback, the 25 mm x 3.3 mm automatic, 219 component, 32-jewel movement fits the case nicely and allows for a thin case. Beating at 4Hz and offering a rather small 38-hour power reserve does not stand out — and it would have been nice to see some technical upgrades — it does receive Jaeger-LeCoutlre’s 1,000 hours of testing and leaves the factory adjusted to a rate that’s better chronometer specification of -4/+6 second per day — especially considering a nearly ten thousand dollar price point. Still, in today’s market, this is more compelling than what some competitors priced well above them are offering.
The star of the show is the stellar blue-gray sunburst dial that’s accentuated by contrasting rhodium-plated finishing of the faceted dauphine-shaped hand-applied indices and matching Dauphine-shaped hour and minute hands, and a hand-applied “JL” emblem at 12. The long center second hand is baton-shaped with a triangular counterweight and framed date indication at 6 with the same rhodium-plated finish, and silver dots representing the minutes/seconds track.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Date Blue-Gray (Ref. Q1238480) has a water-resistance rating of 50 meters (significantly better than the 30 meters offered on comparable Patek Philippe watches), even if it’s a dress watch it’s nice to know your investment is less likely to get wet.
The retail price is $9,550. Learn more at Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Photos by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
