Does buying my first Jaeger-LeCoultre mean that I am finally growing up?
Jason MarsdenI’ve just snapped up my very first Jaeger-LeCoultre, but it was not the JLC I expected to buy.
When most people think of JLC it is the iconic Reverso that springs to mind. For some reason I’ve always hesitated, with the strange thought that I’m not grown up enough to wear one. This is unexplainable, to even myself, as I have other dress watches, and even a few vintage pieces that would be considered dress watches today, although were everyday watches when they were manufactured.
It was certainly a surprise that the first JLC I chose to purchase was a 2016 Master Control Ultra Thin, ref Q1278420 / 171.8.90.S I was not actively looking at this particular model, but it just jumped out at me whilst I was browsing an online sales platform. Why was I so drawn to this watch as my entry into the JLC brand?
Firstly, the look – it’s a pure dress watch that’s straight out of the 1950s with its small seconds sub dial at 6, Dauphine hands, and dagger indices. JLC utilise a neat trick to ensure the hands always present a light and dark side. Rather than Grand Seiko’s black polishing, JLC frost one side of the hand and polish the other, creating permanent contrast independent of lighting. At 38.4mm and only 7.8mm thick this watch portrays the very essence of a classic wristwatch. Despite a full size rotor the movement is only 3.98mm thick, allowing for a very slim but still sturdy watch case. It is fair to draw comparison with the Patek Philippe Calatrava in terms of its execution, historically Jaeger-LeCoultre provided movements to Patek Philippe for 30 years, along with also supplying Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet. This earned JLC the title “the watchmaker’s, watchmaker”.
What I love about this watch is its simplicity. In my youth, and pre watch collecting days, my ultimate dream watch was the Breitling Navitimer. Today I still don’t own a Breitling and my last three luxury watch purchases have all been time only, bereft of even a date complication. There is something calming and very pleasing about a simple dial where the main design language and architecture can breathe. Plus, with many watches in rotation, the ability to just set the time and wind a watch without having to set the date adds to the convenience.
Secondly the movement and finish. The stainless-steel case houses the caliber 896/1, 32 jewel movement, yielding 43 hours of power reserve. This helped along by a 22-carat gold rotor mass that spins on, lubricant and maintenance free, ceramic bearings. A variable inertia balance wheel ensures the ultimate in fine adjustability over its 1000 hours of testing. Yes, you read that right, JLC tests these cased-up watches for 1000 hours. Different positions, at different temperatures, pressures, magnetic fields, vibration, and the manufacturer finally confirms the 50m water resistance. These watches then earn the Master Control 1000 Hours (that’s 41 days) certification displayed on the rotor. No other watch brand tests their cased-up movements for such an extended period, with the exception of Richard Mille’s High Performance certificate that encompasses three separate testing institutions across 61 days. To put this into perspective the Geneva Seal testing lasts for seven days, the Patek Philippe Seal requires 19 days of testing and COSC 15 days.
Lastly was the price. I bought mine for about US$4,500 and there is little to nothing in the market that offers such a classic watch, from a historically significant and respected manufacturer, at such a price point. At eight years of age this watch has taken its initial retail price hit and, in all likelihood, will only hold or increase in value. The hype and demand for luxury sports watches has also seen traditional dress watches languish and this has created a buyers’ market for the astute collector. In fairness, today’s dress standards and lifestyles are more casual and sports-orientated, but as happy as I am to wear my Ploprof with a suit I’ll happily wear a dress watch with jeans and a t-shirt. This has created an opportunity to acquire some fantastic watches at incredibly low prices. Outside of the Reverso, the Jaeger LeCoultre range has been under many people’s radar and there are some stunning watches available for a fraction of the market price of a hot sports watch.