The often-imperceptible art of watchmaking relies on a slight of hand in finishing touches. Blink and you might miss it, at least when it comes to a refined duo of new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin watches.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon and Master Ultra Thin Date are both said to embody “refined elegance,” and each feature similar enough specs on the surface, like a crisp 39mm case and stainless steel construction, not to mention a duo of copper grain dials.
But the details truly do make the difference, and that’s where the Vallée de Joux departs from the everyday (as is so often the case with Jaeger-LeCoultre watches). The haute horologist previously upgraded the Master Ultra Thin line in early 2024 with a watch focused on power reserve and a revamped dial in a handsome shade of deep blue.
In the case of this week’s new series of updates to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin, dial color makes the difference, with the copper-grained finish billed as a “distinctive new shade” that elevates each timepiece. In fact, the watchmaker took great care to select the proper shade for each dial, leaving no stone unturned, with the color “contrasting with the cool shine of the polished stainless-steel cases,” further noting that “the subtle texture and warm color of the dials brings fresh animation to the timeless aesthetics and technical virtuosity for which the Master Ultra Thin collection is renowned.”
It’s quite the heady prospect to go about updating a line that’s technically been part of the company’s heritage since ultra-thin pocket watches were first introduced in early 1900s, although the newer version of the Master Ultra Thin line made its debut in the early 1990s. Jaeger-LeCoultre aims for the Master Ultra Thin line to serve as the “quintessential dress watch for the 21st century, and accordingly, both the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon and Master Ultra Thin Date feature suitably elegant touches, including the use of its signature Dauphne hands and trapezoid indices.
A precisely finished in-house caliber 925 movement is housed within the Master Ultra Thin Moon (retail price: $12,600), and of course, the watch expertly tracks the phases of the moon in utterly elegant fashion as a result. Meanwhile, the Master Ultra Thin Date (available for $10,400) receives an equally meticulous caliber 899 movement. Both the LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon and Master Ultra Thin Date come on brown alligator leather straps for what the maison calls “effortless interchangeability.” Both watches are a testament to impossibly intricate production and a respect for the company’s heritage, while (seemingly) living up to the haute horologist’s bold goal of developing the ideal dress watch for the modern collector.
