There are eras that seem a natural fit to revisit in the horology world, but rather than dive back five or six decades, Jaeger-LeCoultre nods to the 1990s with its Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Classic.
It’s another striking dress watch release from the famed Swiss watchmaker on the heels of two Master Ultra Thin timepieces released last month. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Classic, the horologist notes, “exudes vintage appeal” and builds off a silver-white sunray dial in an elegant, new 36mm case design. The company’s classic Dauphine hands accent elongated triangular indices across a striking dial, while the timepiece pays homage across the board to a 1995 Master Control reference.
A date window stands out in crisp fashion at the 3-o’clock hour marking, while its sunburst dial is “reminiscent of the vintage charm of watches of that era,” Jaeger-LeCoultre notes, harkening back to the 1990s. Super-LumiNova markings offer a delicate touch at the tip of its polished hands and a sense of precision via dots beneath each hour marker. At an initial run of just 500 pieces, the latest Master Control Classic clocks in at 36mm, only two millimeters larger than the original 1995 reference.
As the watchmaker notes, the “Master Control Classic celebrates the collection’s heritage with classical proportions and restrained aesthetics in a 36mm steel case,” and should prove remarkably wearable with refined holiday and winter looks this season. The timepiece, delivered in suitably refined fashion on a handsome camel-hued ostrich leather strap ” boasts an authentic vintage style, true to the spirit of the original Master Classic,” Jaeger-LeCoultre said.
And despite boasting an in-house Calibre 899 movement with an impressive 70-hour power reserve, the watch itself is a slim 8.15mm thick. Its engraved caseback pays further tribute to the original 1995 Master Control Classic, with markings calling out its 1000-hour Control’ certification and ’90s-era medallion design. Precise and “meticulous” details, including a blue seconds hand, “underline the purity of the design,” Jaeger-LeCoultre says.
With the right blend of simplicity and utterly classic style, plus a precise movement within, the newest Master Control Classic seems to be the sort of timepiece that’s a proud tribute to its design inspiration, trumpeted by Jaeger-LeCoultre as a “historic” model. Thirty years on, the 2025 edition of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Classic “celebrates the enduring appeal of elegant simplicity and classical design codes.” Find out more online at Jaeger-LeCoultre, and add one to your collection for about $8,950.
