When you look at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 194 years of illustrious watchmaking history, the Master Control collection—which debuted in 1992—may seem relatively youthful in the grand scheme of things. But you probably couldn’t tell, and you’d be forgiven. At a glance, Master Control watches appear to punch above their age with a confidence found in heritage pieces. But then you look closer at its history, you’ll realise that maybe it should. Because really, the Master Control is a product of nearly a century of the Maison’s know-how—decades of trial, error, and watchmaking ingenuity rolled into one.
At its core, the identity of the collection rests on the silhouette of the classic 1950s round watch. It boasts technical rigour, but exercises stylistic restraint.
For the Master Control Calendar (a sub-genre in the collection) in particular, the intrigue deepens when you look inward. This is where you’ll find a movement with traces in its lineage that stretches back to the 1940s.
The triple calendar moon-phase movement was a first-of-its-kind during that era. It managed to not only display numerical dates, but days, months, and even the moon’s phases. Many Maisons (leading ones at that) have since studied the movement and adopted it themselves. But those who know, know: Jaeger-LeCoultre was the first to crack the triple calendar code.
Just a couple weeks ago, the Maison reached into this very archive and brought forth a new Master Control Calendar into its catalogue—but with a twist. The latest iteration wears a two-tone effect on its dial with a textured grain finish, both of which are firsts for the collection.
Shades of light and dark grey alternate between the outermost dial that carries the 31 day calendar, to the centre, where the day and month windows sit neatly side by side. Below them, a small seconds sub-dial cradles the moon phase display simultaneously. The entire watch is dressed in an elegant greyscale palette, yet it teases on the edge of playfulness, thanks to the moon phase set against a deep navy, star-studded night sky, adding a swash of colour.
Turn your attention to the triangular applied indexes that are elongated, the numerals at 12, 3, and 9 that are dressed in Arabic numerals, and dauphine hands that are faceted. All of them are elements retained from the original triple calendar model, which not only whispers traces of its ancestry, but reels you back into its classical identity. The polished 40mm stainless steel case hammers home that monochrome sensibility, while its brushed case sides lend a modern edge.
Internally, the Master Control Calendar is powered by the self-winding in-house calibre 866, boasting a reliable 70-hour power reserve. More interestingly, is how the movement allows the date hand to perform a little leap from the 15th to 16th, skipping neatly over the moon phase aperture—ensuring the celestial display is never obscured.
The Master Control Calendar is limited to just 500 pieces worldwide.
