Eid Al Adha Gift Guide for the Watch Enthusiasts

MASTER CONTROL COLLECTION

La Grande Maison of Le Sentier enriches an icon of modern Swiss horology, the Master Control collection, by introducing new interpretations of the signature complications in its collection — the Master Control Calendar and the Master Control Chronograph Calendar. Now with interchangeable steel bracelets that are compatible with other strap systems of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Master Control is more versatile than ever. 

2022 marks the 30 years of the Master Control, launched in 1992 as a demonstration of the Maison’s commitment to the very highest levels of watchmaking excellence. The Master Control marked the beginning of the 1000 Hours Control system of internal quality standards at Jaeger-LeCoultre, a system subsequently incorporated throughout the full range of watches and which is now emblematic of the Maison’s fine watchmaking promise to its customers.

The Master Control epitomises the dedicated approach to precision timekeeping at Jaeger-LeCoultre. In addition, the collection is a celebration of the continued value of mechanical watchmaking and its most emblematic complications, even in the 21st century. Two new Master Control models, in stainless steel with interchangeable bracelets, bring the calendar display and chronograph function more fully into contemporary everyday life, recognising the prominence of active lifestyles in the world today.

Earlier this year at Watches and Wonders 2022, the Maison demonstrated its exceptional savoir-faire in the domain of calendar watches. Timepieces such as the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 and the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 represented some of the most sophisticated mechanical expressions of cosmic time in modern horology.

Expanding the utilitarian side of calendrical watchmaking at Jaeger-LeCoultre are two new interpretations of the Master Control Calendar and the Master Control Chronograph Calendar.

Building on the recent success of the Master Control Calendar with blue dial, the latest Master Control Calendar with interchangeable bracelet comes in a dial colour palette that focuses on purity and refinement. The silver sunray-brushed dial features a tone-on-tone aesthetic, maintaining the essential design codes of the Master Control such as dauphine hands and Arabic numerals intercut with dart hour markers. The jumping date hand that characterises this model is endowed with a red-lacquered indicator tip in the shape of the Jaeger-LeCoultre logo, allowing the date to be read easily and intuitively.

The Master Control Chronograph Calendar is equally pure in its chronometric expression, using blue chronograph hands and a blue moonphase disc to bring out the indications of the complications. For the first time, both the Master Control Calendar and the Master Control Chronograph Calendar are available on a steel bracelet with a quick-change system — a timely reflection of the ever-growing importance of versatile and robust-wearing timepieces in contemporary life.

Both the new Master Control models with steel bracelet also come with a light-brown strap in Novonappa® calf leather. These leather straps are equipped with the same quick-change system, allowing the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control to truly become a watch for all seasons.

 

POLARIS COLLECTION

Inspired by the 1968 Memovox Polaris, the Polaris collection has defined the spirit of sporty elegance at Jaeger-LeCoultre. Utilitarian functions, vintage design codes and modern standards of chronometric performance — these are the three characteristics that distinguish the Polaris, which now comes in a deep green dial, bringing a new touch of colour to the everyday adventures of life.

A signature model of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Memovox Polaris has been a mainstay of uniquely utilitarian watchmaking since its introduction in 1968. Diving watches are a staple of any sports watch collection, but few have maintained as consistent a following over the decades as the Memovox Polaris.

Launched in 2018, the Polaris Date drew inspiration from the 1968 Memovox Polaris, one of the most popular Polaris models of all time, demonstrating the durable appeal of this design, with its subtle vintage touches through the vanilla luminescent coating. In 2022, the Polaris Date is now available with a gradient deep green dial.

A lacquered, double-gradient dial with multiple textured finishes allows the Polaris Date to prioritise legibility without the slightest compromise in aesthetics. A balanced mix of opaline, grained and sunrayed surfaces clearly defines each key dial segment, from the mobile inner bezel ring to the minute track. The colour gradient ranges from light olive to verdant rainforest, taking on different shades according to the angle of reflected light. A coat of translucent lacquer brings mesmerising depth to the dial, allowing the vanilla-tinted dial indexes to stand out with perfect clarity.

At the core of the Polaris collection is its high levels of performance in extreme environments. The mobile inner bezel, controlled by the crown at the 2 o’clock position, is a key feature of a true diver’s watch, permitting the wearer to measure timing offsets or countdowns with great precision. The Polaris Date features a transparent case-back, while being water resistant to 200m, making it equally at home in an urban cityscape or the pelagic depths of the ocean.

 Measuring 42mm in diameter, the case of the Polaris Date remains subtle, thanks to its satin-finished surfaces, with polished chamfers on the case lugs and narrow bezel. This allows the dial to take centre focus, showcased by the glass-box crystal that recalls the Plexiglas dial crystals of mid-century timepieces.

For maximum versatility in wear, the Polaris Date comes with a green rubber strap that is equipped with a quick-change system. Within seconds, the strap can easily be swapped with a wide range of Jaeger-LeCoultre bracelets and straps with perfect compatibility.

The new green dial of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date represents the all-terrain nature of the timepiece, emphasised by its rugged, matt-finished case construction. Its heritage shines through in the vanilla-hued Super-LumiNova® indexes, suggestive of a well-aged aesthetic. Within the 42mm steel case beats the latest-generation Calibre 899, with 70 hours of power reserve. Now, more than ever, the Polaris is the elegant sports watch for a life of adventure.

The Polaris Date is a Boutique Edition and will be available exclusively from Jaeger-LeCoultre e-commerce for a month.

 

RENDEZ-VOUS STAR

In 2022, the Rendez-Vous Star recreates this enchanting celestial phenomenon on the wrist, thanks to an entirely new mechanism conceived and developed within the Manufacture. Activated by the movement of the wrist, the shooting star appears on the dial at random moments – usually four to six times per hour – its unpredictability making it even more special. To enjoy the enchanting display more often, the star may also be summoned on demand by turning the crown several times. 

A Joyful Ode to the Night Sky

The Rendez-Vous Star is offered in two enchanting variations: a white gold case with a dial in subtle tones of silvery blue and a pink gold case with a dial in soft golden browns.

Inspired by the magic of shooting stars, the artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts™) atelier have harnessed their skills in new ways to depict the beauty and mystery of the night sky. Made of transparent sapphire glass, the uppermost of the dial’s three layers has been sprinkled with transferred stars and miniature hand-painted (on both sides of the sapphire glass) with clouds and a crescent moon, which conceal the shooting star when it is inactive.

Beneath this is a rotating circular disc of titanium with a cut-out of the shooting star – in an intense night blue for the white gold version and in a dark taupe colour for the pink gold version. When activated, the disc spins, sending the star on its curving path across the upper dial. As it passes, the cut-out reveals the deepest layer of the dial – a fixed disc of silvery or golden metal with a glowing gradient finish that accentuates the sense of movement.

Defining the trajectory of the shooting star, a three-quarter circle of diamonds is set into the sapphire glass dial. This is achieved by integrating fine gold threads directly into the glass to anchor the diamonds and enhance the effect of transparency and lightness.

The bezel is set with a circle of glittering diamonds that draw the eye towards the dial and, in keeping with the aesthetic codes of the Rendez-Vous, the upper surfaces of the lugs, and the top of the crown are also diamond-set. To complete these watchmaking treasures, an alligator leather strap, matched to the dial colour and given a glowing, pearlised finish, is fastened to the wrist by a folding buckle.

 

Inspired and created in the Vallée de Joux

To create a mechanism that expresses an unpredictable phenomenon is a fascinating challenge for watchmaking as it appears to defy the laws of horology – a world where everything is expressed through precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms. Drawing on almost 190 years of expertise accumulated within the Manufacture, the engineers and watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre have developed the new in-house automatic calibre 734, incorporating the new shooting star mechanism. In doing so, they have succeeded in an unprecedented feat of capturing a random cosmic phenomenon in a watchmaking complication. Uniting this technical acumen with La Grande Maison’s artistic skills, the Rendez-Vous Star gives poetic and whimsical expression to the enchantment of the night sky.