Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar – Now With A Black Dial
What We Know
Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced a new variation of its Master Control Chronograph Calendar: pink gold with a black dial. You’d be forgiven for thinking the Master Control Calendar Chronograph was a model in JLC’s catalog for the last generation or two, something you might find in its Collectibles (that we featured just yesterday). Surprisingly, it was only introduced in 2020 as part of the manufacturer’s revamped Master Control lineup that dates to 1992, and a fine addition at that. But this latest update with a black dial and red print takes its vintage inspiration to the next level.
This variant is the same Master Control Chronograph Calendar you might know, just with a new black dial and a sunray brushed finish that features a red pulsation scale on the outer track, with additional red print on the subdials and date and day windows. The pink gold case measures a largeish 40mm and 12mm thick and is water resistant to 50 meters.
After it was released in 2020, we went hands-on with the Master Control Chronograph Calendar.
The automatic JLC caliber 759 can be seen through the sapphire caseback. Its finishing is industrial but attractive, more viewable thanks to the slightly skeletonized gold rotor. The caliber is basically JLC’s cal. 751 with a calendar module added on top. That means it’s a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph that uses a free-sprung balance wheel, which is about what you’d expect for a high-end chronograph like the Master Control.
The new Master Control Calendar Chronograph has an MSRP of $32,500, the same price as the existing silver dial (an increase over the $26,000 the pink gold was introduced at in 2020), and it’ll be available only in JLC boutiques. There used to also be a stainless steel Master Control Chronograph Calendar, but it looks like that has now been discontinued, with only the pink gold versions available on JLC’s site (with either the black or existing silver dial). Jaeger-LeCoultre is far from the first brand to swap steel in favor of precious metal, as I wrote a few weeks ago, but I did appreciate when we had the option of a complicated calendar and chronograph combination in steel – it’s something not offered by many other brands. Now, you’ve gotta pay twice that to get the same caliber in a rose gold case, either a silver or black dial. In fact, I featured that very watch in steel on a little list back in February, and now it’s out of the JLC catalog after being introduced only in 2020.
What We Think
After thinking about it for a few minutes and asking a few colleagues, I couldn’t find a true direct comparison to the Master Control Calendar Chronograph. Sure, a few brands combine a complete calendar and a chronograph in a dressed-up package, but the results are often kind of ugly or at least pretty busy, with cluttered dials that make less sense than using a pulsation scale in 2023. I say this all as a massive compliment to JLC, who has managed to combine two complications it never had before, all the while incepting us into somehow feeling like the Master Control Calendar Chronograph is a watch they’ve always been making, and perhaps always this beautifully.
I felt the existing version of Master Control Calendar Chronograph was a bit underappreciated, or at least not talked about quite enough by most of us. But part of its charm is also that it isn’t, nor does it demand such attention. It’s not heritage inspired nor is it daringly modern – it’s just a beautiful, complicated dressy watch. With this new black dial, I have a feeling a lot more people are going to take notice of just how well-executed the Master Control Calendar Chronograph is. Sure, it’d be great if they shaved a millimeter or two off the diameter, but I’m more than happy that at least one manufacturer (and one of the best ones at that) is still committed to making attractive, classically-styled and well-executed chronographs and calendars. But if we were asking for things, one more note on our dearly departed steel version: Perhaps you’ll bring it back one day, JLC, and maybe with a salmon dial?
The Basics
Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Model: Master Control Chronograph Calendar
Reference Number: Q413257J
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 12.05mm
Case Material: 18k pink gold
Dial Color: Black (sunray)
Indexes: Pink gold
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap/Bracelet: Black alligator
The Movement
Caliber: JLC caliber 759
Functions: Day, date, month, moonphase, chronograph (with 30-min counter)
Diameter: 25.6mm
Power Reserve: 65 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 38
Additional Details: Column wheel, vertical clutch chronograph; JLC “1,000 Hour Control Certification,” testing of the caliber in cased up watch
Pricing & Availability
Price: $32,500
Availability: Boutique only
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For more, see the new Master Control Calendar on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s website.
Hodinkee
