Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar
Jaeger-LeCoultre is an interesting company. The brand’s name is both fun yet challenging to pronounce, so most simply refer to it as JLC. The brand has earned the nickname "the Watchmakers’ Watchmaker" due to its production of complex movements for a variety of other brands. Before the era of see-through case backs and the demand for in-house movements, brands would contract companies such as JLC (among others like Valjoux and Zenith) to create their movements. JLC even made movements used exclusively by the Big Three: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. Despite this impressive history, JLC seems to achieve more critical acclaim than economic success; I know more people who sing the brand’s praises than I do people who actually bought the watches. It’s not that JLC doesn’t produce great watches—it does. In fact, I believe the brand may suffer from an overproduction of models. When I see a unique (and often complicated) used or neo-vintage watch from JLC, I am never surprised, even if I have never seen that model before. It seems as if their historical catalog is endless, and perhaps this has prevented individual model lines from achieving the iconic status of other, less technically impressive watches. The brand has had its hits—like the Reverso, Polaris, Memovox, etc.—but none have reached the status of watches such as the Nautilus, Royal Oak, Submariner, or Speedmaster.
Today’s review subject is the succinctly named Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. Essentially, this is an accurate, slim watch with a perpetual calendar mechanism—a complication that accurately displays the day of the week, date, month, and year without needing corrections for decades. When people ask why I find mechanical watches fascinating, perpetual calendars are often my go-to example of a remarkable complication. This iteration is particularly handsome, and it’s one I would easily desire if I were shopping for dress watches in the $30,000+ range (I’m not). While it is available in steel, I personally think dress watches should be in precious metal. The pink gold version with the blue dial is my favorite variant, and the specific model I will cover in this review.
Aesthetic Score
The JLC is both simple and complex in its design. On one hand, the case shape, dial, hands, and markers are all elegant and straightforward. Yet, the watch also displays the seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, and indicates when not to adjust the time—a lot packed into a seemingly simple dial. This layout, with time in the center and the calendar/moon phase in the surrounding subdials, is fairly common; brands like IWC and Audemars Piguet make perpetual calendar watches with similar arrangements. However, the JLC iteration is particularly appealing with its elegant features. The sunburst dial shifts shades of blue in the light, complementing the pink gold case. The angular dauphine hands and sharp applied hour markers enhance the aesthetic, and the pink gold moon and stars add a refined touch.
However, there are a few things I would change about the watch. While the case looks great from above, the side view tells a different story. The watch features a concave bezel, which is sometimes used to visually slim down a watch. I prefer domed or convex bezels over concave ones. Considering that the watch is already quite thin at 9.2mm, making it appear thinner is unnecessary. Two other byproducts of this thinness are the off-center crown and the tube-like protrusion for the calendar adjuster, which is somewhat reminiscent of the cockpit on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. These protrusions are on the bottom of the watch, but you still notice the crown and adjuster extending lower than the mid-case. Speaking of the crown, I find its shape slightly awkward when viewed from above. Additionally, the watch features a small indicator just above the center of the dial that warns the user not to adjust the time during the "date change danger zone" around midnight, when manually adjusting the time could damage delicate parts of the perpetual calendar mechanism. While this is a useful feature, I assume most enthusiasts buying a perpetual calendar would already be aware of this. The indicator also necessitates small cutouts in the hands, which I think detracts from the aesthetic. If JLC wanted to include this feature, it could have been placed on the case back.
Lastly, while the watch comes with a beautiful blue alligator strap, it is paired with a simple tang buckle. Even though many expensive watches come with simple buckles, I believe a deployant clasp is a premium feature that should accompany a premium watch. Frustratingly, the steel version of this watch includes a deployant clasp.
Watchmaking Score
The JLC excels but also slightly disappoints in terms of watchmaking. The "Master" designation indicates that the watch has undergone JLC’s 1,000-hour quality control test, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. Additionally, the watch features a perpetual calendar—a notoriously complex complication. While it is a JLC movement, the perpetual calendar system is based on a design by Kurt Klaus for IWC. The genius of this system is that all aspects of the calendar are pre-programmed, so only one corrector is needed. For instance, if the watch falls behind by three days, you simply push the button three times, set the time, and you’re all caught up. This is far more convenient than other perpetual calendars that require individual adjustments for each aspect.
The watch has impressive stats, including a 28,800 vph beat rate and a 70-hour power reserve, all housed in a slender 9.2mm case. However, my disappointment lies in the movement’s appearance. While the dial and movement are impressive, what is visible through the case back is underwhelming compared to the JLC Duometre Quantieme Lunaire, which is similarly priced. The movement could be more exposed and better finished. Final Score: 8.5/10
Value Score
At $40,700, the JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar is not inexpensive. The steel version of this watch retails for $28,500, meaning the upcharge for the pink gold case is roughly $12,000. Although that’s a significant difference, the watch is still a great value, especially considering it can likely be found used in the low $30,000 range. Even those unfamiliar with watches will recognize the quality of the gold case and the various complications. Enthusiasts will certainly respect JLC’s reputation and the perpetual calendar complication. While servicing complicated watches can be costly, the value of this piece is undeniable. Final Score: 9/10
Conclusion: 25.5/30
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar is an all-around great watch, earning its spot at the top of my reviews. Though I have a few minor complaints, there’s so much to love—from its graceful design to its sophisticated watchmaking. Though the dress watch genre isn’t as popular as it once was, this is a timepiece that collectors should be thrilled to add to their collections, even if it’s only worn a few times a year.
Disclosure: my opinions on a given watch’s value are speculative and are intended for entertainment purposes. Nothing I write is to be considered investment advice.