Jaeger LeCoultre Master Perpetual

Review by Ludwig

Summary

• The Hunt:

  Last year, I went perpetual calendar shopping. My goals were twofold. Firstly, I wanted to buy such a nice watch that it would cure me of this damnable TimeZone-inflicted Watch Acquisition Syndrome (W.A.S.). Secondly, I wanted to have a perpetual calendar with a year display to wear for New Years Eve this last year, and for the upcoming Y2K transition. After much hemming and hawing, I reduced my choices to the Master Perpetual, and the Ulysse Nardin Perpetual Ludwig. I ended up going with the Ludwig, which I still dearly love.

  However, some problems immediately became clear. First, the Ludwig didn't actually help my W.A.S. problem, but perhaps only succeeded in making it worse. Second, I had intended to wear the Ludwig quite often to work, but soon discovered that between its fairly large size, and striking looks, it wasn't quite as appropriate for my normal routine as I had hoped. Third, it lacked a moon phase.

  I decided to tackle the moon phase problem first, and purchased a JLC Lyre from a TZ regular. It, while very nice, turned out, as I had been warned, to be a bit small for me, plus, it was a bother to keep set properly if it ever stopped, forcing me to either wear it frequently, or remember to keep it on the winder. I also found that I didn't like the date being along the outside of the dial.

  I next looked very seriously at the Master Moon. After some thought, I decided that the date-around-the-rim just didn't do it for me. I liked the look of the Master Perpetual much better, and the Moon just wasn't going to be able to serve as a substitute.

  Hmmm - why not get the Perpetual? I mean, sure, having 2 perpetuals is a bit silly, but the Master Perpetual is exactly what I'm looking for.It's sufficiently different-looking for the Ludwig that I'm not really duplicating ecological niches in my collection. It's just a simple matter of money. "Oh, bother", said Pooh.

  Then, just the other day, while visiting one of my local watch pushers, where I have been for 6 months looking at this rose gold Master Perpetual he has been keeping in the back, I snapped. It was clearly fate. (I'm a big fan of going along with fate, when it's going your way.) It was the day of a blue moon. An unexpected source of funds had magically appeared that very morning. And when I walked into the store, the pusher said "So, are you finally going to buy that JLC? I think I can make you a good deal, and I'd really like to move it..." I said "Sure, if you can sell it to me for mumble", naming a fairly lowball price. It must have been fate - he agreed, and I walked out of the store a happy, if considerably poorer, fellow.

  To make it even better, when I snuck into the house wearing it, my wife, ever alert to my habits, spotted it instantly. I thought the game was up, but she smiled, and said "Wow. I was really hoping you were going to get that one sooner or later!". And proceeded to take me out to a really nice dinner to celebrate.

  Definitely fate was on my side...

  
  
• Am I still happy?
  You betcha!
  
  
• Would I buy it again?
  Seems likely, but really, it's too soon to tell. I've only had it a few days now. I will update this review with my long-term experiences.

Specifications

• Movement:
  The movement is the Jaeger Calibre 889/440/2, from 1996. This movement is apparently the JLC 889/2 base movement, with the IWC perpetual calendar plate It is a 28,800 bph autowinding movement, 26mm in diameter, 4.55mm high. It has 50 jewels, and 277 parts. Kif shock protection. Ball bearing central rotor. Circular-grain and Cotes de Geneve finishing. It has been adjusted for 6 positions. Like all members of the JLC Master Control series, it has been subjected (as a completely finished watch) to 1000 hours of rigourous reliability testing in 6 positions, over a temperature range of 4->40 Celsius. Testing includes magnetism (5000 amperes/meter), shock, vibration, and pressure (5 atm) tests. Each watch has been signed and dated by the responsible watchmaker. Movement hacks. ~38 hour power reserve.
• Functions:
  • Hours, minutes, center sweep second hand
  • Date, month, day of week each on separate recessed subdial, with blued hand.
  • Year - two digit display, recessed into month subdial
  • Moon phase
  • "Idiot light" - an indicator, just below the month subdial, which shows red during the time period (10pm->3am) when it is unsafe to set back the time, or adjust the date. The hands have cutouts in them so that the indicator is visible at all times. You can see the idiot light disk in the center of the pictured movement.
  • One pusher, which adjusts, with a single push, the entire calendar (date/day/moon phase/month/year simultaneously) one day forward per push. The calendar can not be turned backwards. If you set it forwards ahead of the current date (say, for example, to see if it is Y2K compliant...), your options are either to stop the watch and wait for time to catch up, or to send it back to Switzerland.
• Case:
  18kt rose gold. Diameter 37.2mm, height 10.1mm. Slightly domed sapphire crystal. Water resistant to 5 atm. Caseback is solid, and attached to the case with 4 screws. Also available in SS, yellow gold, platinum, and w/bracelet. Ref. # 140.240.802B
  
  
• Strap:
  Shiny black crocodile, with JLC rose gold deployant clasp.
  
  
• Dial and hands:
  Silver-colored dial. Subdials have contrasting finish. Gold triangular markers at most of the 5-minute positions. The applied Arabic numeral "6" appears at the 6-o-clock position. Black minute tick marks. Most of the 5-minute marks also have a small tritium dot. The hands are gold dauphine-style, with small tritium inlays. The hands have a skeletal cutout so that the "idiot light" is always visible. Unlike the other Master Series watches that I have (Master Geo, RDM), this one is actually readable at night.
  
  
• Warranty:
  1 year, extended to 2 years if you send in the registration card.
  
  
• Price: $20,500 U.S. list price

Impressions

• Pros:
  • Accuracy - mine is running -1 second per day. I have been wearing it during the day, and storing it face up at night.
  • Finish - the polishing on the dial and case are incredible. It emits an overpowering aura of quality and refinement. The symmetry of the dial is quite attractive. The dial assumes very different colors throughout the day, depending on the lighting, ranging from a hard titanium/silver to a soft copper/gold wash.
  • Usability - very simple to set, and to use. A single pusher allows you to set all of the calendar functions. Quite legible (compared to the fatally illegible silver-dial, stainless-steel Master Geo I have). Even readable at night.
  • Comfort - very light (even in gold) and thin. Quite comfortable to wear in normal work conditions, which was a problem with the larger, heavier Ludwig that I am otherwise so fond of. The thinness of the watch is particularly nice - it makes this piece much more wearable on a daily basis.
  • Price - a relative bargain, compared to the Pateks. I find it more attractive, too.
  • Y2K compliant :-).
  
  
• Cons:
  • The cutout in the hands for "idiot light" is a bit lame. So is the idiot light itself.
  • It cannot be set backwards in time, or have the date adjusted, during 10pm->3am without damaging the movement. In fact, it cannot have the date set backwards at all, ever. This makes it not particularly handy as a travel watch.
  • Needs adjustment by a watchmaker in 2099, like many perpetuals.
  • Moon phase needs adjustment by a watchmaker every 122 years, as it drifts off by 1 day during that time. Shameful...
  • The display back to view the lovely movement isn't available on the rose gold model.

Manufacturer's Info

• Name: Jaeger LeCoultre
• Address: Jaeger-LeCoultre Inc. USA, P.O. Box 1608, 188 Brook Road, Winchester, VA 22603
• Phone: 540-665-0300
• Fax: 540-723-8034
• Email: jlcinfo@vdo.com
• Web: www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

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