A symphony of style, skill and sophistication.
A Maison steeped in history and watchmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) started off manufacturing movements and components for many recognisable luxury brands. Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and even Patek Philippe watches have had JLC movements powering them in the past. Yet, time and time again, what draws me to the brand is its ability to cater to a wide range of consumers, with a spectrum of watches and complications to match. From the iconic Reverso, to the sporty Polaris, and the dressier Master Control and Master Ultra thin series, there is a watch for everyone, and for every occasion. However, the piece we are looking at today is their crème de la crème.
Just this week, the Maison launched their Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel, a limited edition 18K rose gold piece, characterised not just by the tourbillon, but by the hand-guilloche enamel dial, a marriage of watchmaking and art.
The 2024 JLC Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel
Source: Jaeger LeCoultre
Background on Jaeger-LeCoultre
After getting past my initial butchering of the pronunciation of the brand, JLC captured my imagination and ignited a passion in me for watches. It was impressive that the brand was deeply woven in to the fabric of the Swiss Luxury Watch industry but continued to have its own icons.
You might have seen the iconic Reverso. Designed in 1931, the Reverso is an iconic timepiece with a practical but origin story, steeped in privilege - to protect the glass of the watch when playing polo. More recently, Robert Downey Jr. sported (pun intended) the latest Reverso Tribute Chronograph in Rose Gold at the 2024 Golden Globes. The Marvel fans among us might have also spotted the brand prior to Iron Man wearing it. In the Dr Strange series, Benedict Cumberbatch dons the Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar, perhaps a precursor to his eventual control over time itself.
2023 was a rather special year for the brand. They launched the highly successful Reverso Tribute Chronograph. With the first 100 allocations sold out within 24 hours, demonstrating that they could execute on Catherine Renier’s vision of style and creativity, augmented by history and the timelessness their watches exude. They followed this up with other Reverso launches, including the Reverso micro art series featuring Hokusai artworks, each a limited edition of 8 pieces. The Maison had shown an ability to innovate not only with watch movements, but also marrying the sophistication of the watch with art and style.
The Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel
The Master Ultra Thin series has a watch for everybody but today’s piece is the most recent launch of this range. A tourbillon is a dream of many enthusiasts and collectors and this piece pairs this complication with the Métiers Rares® Atelier fine work. Tourbillons are a sometimes divisive, but almost always aesthetically pleasing, complication. There is just something therapeutic about watching a rotating cage at the 6 o’clock aperture tracking the seconds in a minute. Having handled this piece, I might just have a visualisation of what my grail watch will look like.
The 2024 JLC Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel
Source: Jaeger LeCoultre
Similar to Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon launched in a limited run in 2019, this piece continues to deploy the trusty Calibre 978 with a 45 hour power reserve. The dimensions are also unchanged, at 40mm x 12.13mm. Yet, the watch looks and feels completely different. The combination of the rose gold and the darker blue grand feu enamel guilloche dial, coupled with the matching alligator strap – one could be forgiven for forgetting about the 2019 watch.
The watch sits low and close to the wrist but at 12.13mm, it is thick for a JLC “ultra-thin” watch. That being said, it is unlikely that one would even pay attention to the thickness of the watch, with the tourbillon drawing my attention almost instantly. While the tourbillon takes center stage, it is augmented by a star-studded cast that reminded me of an Avengers Movie. The dial is meticulously and thoughtfully designed, every element complementing and augmenting each other such that the total is more than the sum of the parts.
Grand Feu enamel guilloché blue dial
Source: Jaeger LeCoultre
In particular, the attention to detail in the dial comes together in a demonstration of “immense precision and skill” (to take the words of the Maison). The 180 “sun rays” on the dial required 1,080 lines, whilst the azurage on the date subdial required some 1,100 gestures by the guillocheur, all done by hand. The skill and precision are on full display here, with the light dancing off the dial in a mesmerising, almost hypnotic, symphony of light and movement.
The piece is further augmented by the shade of blue created for this piece. The newly developed shade of blue is perfect for this watch, a match made in heaven for a rose gold case, and one that exudes style and sophistication. This is coupled with a small-scale alligator strap in a shade of blue created to be a perfect match for the dial.
In stark contrast to how it feels on the wrist, one can’t help but feel the (imaginary) weight when holding the watch in the hand. It is immediately obvious that this is no ordinary watch, even amongst tourbillon watches. The care, skill, and consideration that went into the design of the watch are felt keenly. Much like an orchestra, this watch performs the perfect symphony of style, skill and sophistication.
Conclusion
Its only January, but I think this watch will rank as one of the standout launches of the year and that JLC will continue to execute on Catherine’s vision of style and creativity augmented by history and timelessness. The Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel plays into every element of this vision - the history and relative timelessness of the calibre, augmented by the artistry of the hand-guilloche grand feu enamel dial, perfected through a shade of blue designed especially for this creation. A grail watch worthy of the name.
Fittingly, this will remain a distant dream. Perhaps one day…