Luxury Watch Models in Blue
MASTER CONTROL DATE & MASTER CONTROL CALENDAR
La Grande Maison of Le Sentier enriches an icon of modern Swiss horology, the Master Control collection, by introducing new interpretations of the two models. Distinguished by deep-blue dials with a sunray-brushed finish, the Master Control Date and Master Control Calendar represent the essence of contemporary elegant watchmaking — subtle, powerful and resolutely high-performance — at Jaeger-LeCoultre.
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.
In full alignment with this unceasing commitment to timeless quality that maintains Jaeger-LeCoultre at the forefront of 21st-century horological craft, the Master Control collection has been enriched with two stainless steel models with sunray-finished dials in a refined shade of blue. All the essential codes of the Master Collection can be found in the Master Control Date and the Master Control Calendar. These include features such as the combination of applied Arabic numerals with faceted dart markers for the hours, faceted dauphine hour and minute hands, and bevelled case lugs that curve towards the strap attachment point. The slim case bezels bring an open feel to the 40mm cases, symbolic of the inherent versatility in this case diameter.
Legibility and readability are emphasised, using minute scales in a subtly contrasting lighter blue, with distinct minute divisions intercut with dot markers in Super-LumiNova® for an intuitive and precise indication of the time. With the Master Control Calendar, the jumping date indication makes a welcome reappearance. A slender date hand extends outwards from the centre of the dial, ending in a red[1]lacquered Jaeger-LeCoultre logograph that points towards the date on the outer periphery of the dial. For optimal reading of the dual-display moon phase and small seconds subdial, the date hand makes a 90° jump between the 15th and 16th day of each month. This ensures that the moon phase and small seconds subdial is never bisected by the date hand; a small yet effective detail that increases the design clarity of the Master Control Calendar.
To complete the overall harmonious aspect of these two new models, the date ring of the Master Control Date is also in blue, with white transferred Arabic numerals. The white-on-blue day and month indications of the Master Control Calendar provide similar aesthetic integration with the rest of the watch, with additional visual refinement found in the snailed finish of the small seconds subdial. The upper half of the subdial reveals the moonphase disc decorated with a star-studded background.
Both the Master Control Date and the Master Control Calendar come with matching blue straps in calf leather. The straps are trimmed in complementary blue stitching that continues across the strap attachment point for a touch of vintage allure. These straps have been fitted with a quick-change mechanism, allowing the wearer to easily switch between a range of straps for a completely different look.
Within these new models beats two Jaeger-LeCoultre in-house automatic movements. The calibre 899 of the Master Control Date and the calibre 866 of the Master Control Calendar have 70 hours of power reserve, bringing close to three days of running autonomy even when they are not being worn. Each model is limited to 800 pieces.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
MASTER CONTROL DATE
Dimensions: 40mm x 8.78mm
Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 899AC
Functions: hours/minutes/seconds, date
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: deep blue sunray-brushed, light-blue minute track
Case: stainless steel
Case-back: open
Water resistance: 5 bar
Strap: Calf leather
Reference: Q4018480 - Limited to 800 pieces
MASTER CONTROL CALENDAR
Dimensions: 40mm x 10.95mm
Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 866AA
Functions: hours/minutes/seconds, date, day, month, moon phases
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: deep blue sunray-brushed, light-blue minute track
Case: stainless steel
Case-back: open Water resistance: 5 bar
Strap: Calf leather
Reference: Q4148480 - Limited to 800 pieces
RENDEZ-VOUS DAZZLING STAR
Of all the celestial phenomena, shooting stars are the most romantic and intriguing. Unpredictable, ephemeral and mysterious, their light streaks across the night sky, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. That they are not in fact stars but meteors – flashes of light created when rocky debris burns brightly on hitting Earth’s atmosphere – does nothing to diminish their magic. Visible only at certain times of year and under the right conditions, these rare phenomena have fascinated mankind since the dawn of time – and now have inspired the watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
• Jaeger-LeCoultre invents an entirely new complication that captures the romance and unpredictability of shooting stars
• A blue Aventurine dial evokes the night sky, with multiple layers that conceal and reveal the shooting star; an outer bezel of griffe-set diamonds enriches the display
• The new automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734 reconciles the randomness of shooting stars with the precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms of timekeeping
In 2022, the Rendez-Vous Dazzling 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 winding crown several times.
An Exquisite Display Evokes the Night Sky
Entirely made of blue Aventurine, the dial of the new Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star exquisitely captures the beauty of a star-studded night sky. In the centre, framed by a ring of diamonds, three discs are layered over each other. The first layer, an oval of Aventurine, conceals the shooting star when it is inactive. Beneath it is a circular disc of Aventurine with a cut-out of the shooting star; when activated, this disc spins, sending the star on its curving path across the upper dial. As the star passes, the cut[1]out reveals the deepest layer of the dial – a fixed disc of golden metal with a glowing gradient finish that accentuates the sense of movement.
Loyal to the codes of the Rendez-Vous collection, this central display is surrounded by a ring of applied numerals in the signature Floral font and applied hemispherical hour markers. The time is indicated on these scales by golden Floral hands. Surrounding the 36mm pink gold case, the Dazzling Rendez-Vous bezel forms two concentric rings. There’s an airy quality to these glittering circles, thanks to the prong (or ‘griffe’) setting of the outer ring of 36 stones. A classical jewellery technique introduced in the Rendez-Vous collection in 2019, it is an exquisite testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s gem-setting expertise. Fine gold claws hold the diamonds high, allowing light to pass through them from every angle, maximising the presence of each stone while minimising the visible metal. To complete the watch case, the upper surfaces of the lugs are set with diamonds and an inverted diamond is set into the crown.
The rich blue of the dial is complemented by a shiny blue alligator strap with a folding buckle, or by a sumptuous, fully-set pink gold bracelet specially designed for the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star. The bracelet’s lozenge-shaped links are grain-set with a total of 436 diamonds (for 4.88 carats) and linked seamlessly together, to wrap around the wrist with the suppleness of a ribbon.
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.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
RENDEZ-VOUS DAZZLING STAR
Case: pink gold, sapphire crystal case back
Dimensions: 36mm x 11.11mm
Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734
Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” complication
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: Aventurine, diamonds
Diamonds: Ref. Q3642470 (181 diamonds for 3.48 carats); Ref. Q3642371 (617 diamonds for 8.36 carats)
Water resistance: 5 bar
References:
Q3642470 – pink gold (leather strap)
Q3642371 – pink gold (fully-set pink gold bracelet)
POLARIS PERPETUAL CALENDAR
In 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces a perpetual calendar to the Polaris line for the first time, enriching the collection with one of horology’s most complex, useful and prized complications. With a deep gradient-blue lacquer dial amplifying its sporty-elegant style, the Polaris Perpetual Calendar takes its aesthetic cues from the Polaris Mariner Memovox. Its newly developed, in-house movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA provides a display of the moon phases in both hemispheres, as well as an extended power reserve of 70 hours, in addition to the perpetual calendar displays and rotating inner bezel – a signature of the Polaris line.
• Redefining the modern sporty-elegant wristwatch, the Polaris perpetual calendar is powered by the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA
• A gradient-blue lacquer dial provides a visually rich and highly legible display of calendar indications and the moon phases in both hemispheres
• The 42mm case in steel or pink gold features a rapid-change attachment for the interchangeable straps
The historic Polaris name was reintroduced by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2018 with an entirely new line of watches that harness the Manufacture’s distinguished legacy of diving watches, and translate the spirit of the celebrated 1968 Memovox Polaris into contemporary form. Conceived for everyday adventures, with a combination of robust capabilities, practical functions and a distinctive aesthetic, the Polaris collection has redefined the modern sporty-elegant watch.
The Anomaly of Time – and a New Perpetual Calendar Calibre
The reason for the complexity of our calendar, with its leap years and different number of days in the months, lies in an anomaly between the way we measure civil time and the celestial phenomena on which those measurements are based.
Consequently, for watchmakers, a perpetual calendar is among the most challenging complications to master; a miniature mechanical computer, it must automatically adjust for months of different lengths and even for leap years. Unlike a simple date display, which needs to be adjusted at the end of every month that doesn’t have 31 days, a perpetual calendar will not need any manual correction until 2100 and, after that, only for the centenary years that are not leap years.
Ancient civilisations defined a year as the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same position in the sky, completing a full cycle of seasons. This solar (or “tropical”) year lasted approximately 365.2425 days – and led to the creation of the first calendars. However, a 365-day calendar year is almost six hours shorter than a solar year. The Julian Calendar, introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar, compensated by adding an extra day to February every fourth year. However, this was an over-compensation and in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII eliminated some leap years. According to the Gregorian Calendar, which we use to this day, any year that is divisible by 4, is a leap year; however, if it can also be divided by 100, it is not a leap year (for example 1900, 2100); nevertheless, those centenary years that can be divided by 400, are leap years (2000, 2400).
At the end of the 19th century, LeCoultre & Cie developed its first perpetual calendar pocket watches. Due to the difficulty of creating such complex mechanisms on the tiny scale of a watch, the complication was still extremely rare when Jaeger-LeCoultre presented its first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1937. Since then, the Manufacture’s watchmakers have continuously improved the precision and quality of these remarkable mechanisms.
The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA developed for the Polaris Perpetual Calendar has evolved from the well-proven in-house perpetual calendar movement that first appeared in 2013. It has been upgraded in line with the Manufacture’s latest technical innovations and significantly modified, with a retrograde display of Southern Hemisphere moon phases complementing the classical Northern Hemisphere moon-phase display, as well as an increase in power reserve to 70 hours. Supplementing the calendar indications, the rotating inner bezel – a Polaris signature – offers the practical function of measuring elapsed time.
A Visually Rich Display
Lacquered in a deep gradient-blue colour, the dial of the Polaris Perpetual Calendar takes its aesthetic cues from the Polaris Mariner Memovox. The graduated blue suggests the transition from day to night – a subtle reminder of the connection between celestial phenomena and time measurement.
With an emphasis on balance and legibility, the calendar indications are displayed in three sub-dials. The date, month and day indicators are at 9, 12 and 3 o’clock respectively, with the year displayed within the month indicator. A pleasing reminder that calendars had their origins in astronomical phenomena, the moon phases are displayed at 6 o’clock – with a retrograde display for the Southern Hemisphere framing a classical display for its Northern counterpart. Each of the four sub-dials is slightly recessed and finished in different textures, adding visual richness as the light plays across them.
At the centre of the dial, a small security zone indicator shows red between the hours of 20:00 and 04:00 to warn the user not to adjust the time or calendar indications. Skeletonised hands allow greater visibility of the indications and, in keeping with the contemporary Polaris design codes, bold trapezoid- shaped indexes balance the complexity and fine detail of the calendar displays. Luminescent coating on hands and indexes enhances legibility in all light conditions – an essential attribute for a sport watch.
The 42mm cases, in steel or pink gold, feature the key Polaris design codes: taut lines, fine bezels, glass-box crystals, and an eye-catching mix of brushed and polished surfaces. A transparent sapphire crystal case-back and an open-worked pink gold winding rotor reveal the fine decorative finishes on the movement.
Crucially for a timepiece designed for everyday living, the Polaris Perpetual Calendar is easy to operate and adjust. The top crown rotates the inner bezel – both features being Polaris signatures – while the lower crown is for setting the time and winding the watch. Calendar settings are adjusted via a single pusher.
Thanks to a newly developed interchangeable strap system, which is operated by simply pressing on the pushers integrated into the attachment point between the lugs, the Polaris Perpetual Calendar is adaptable for every adventure. Capitalising on its sporty character, the steel model is offered with both a three-link steel bracelet and textured rubber strap, while the elegance of the pink gold model is complemented by a blue rubber strap and, for a more formal look, an alligator strap with a folding buckle. Adding to the options for personalisation is a collection of calfskin straps in a variety of colours.
True to La Grande Maison’s guiding philosophy of marrying tradition and modernity, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar now brings one of horology’s great complications into the world of contemporary sporting elegance.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
POLARIS PERPETUAL CALENDAR
Case: steel or pink gold
Dimensions: 42mm x 11.97mm
Calibre: automatic mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA
Frequency: 28,800
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with moon phases in two hemispheres and red security zone, inner rotating bezel
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: gradient blue lacquer
Water resistance: 100m
References:
Q9088180 – steel version (interchangeable steel bracelet and rubber strap)
Q9082680 – pink gold version (interchangeable rubber strap and alligator leather strap)
