Review: Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar Stainless Steel Automatic 1308470

For new watch collectors, the universe of new watches, pre-owned and vintage timepieces is just too vast and full of choices.  Where should one begin?  For me, I started out with a goal to collect by complications and by brands, namely, one complication one watch, and one brand one watch. 

Perpetual calendar is one of the most useful complications and Jaeger LeCoultre (JLC) is a top ranked brand often referred to as “watch maker’s watch”.  After a round of intensive research in early 2019, as the 3rd watch in my collection, I pulled the trigger on this JLC Master Ultra Thin (MUT) perpetual calendar in Stainless Steel.  Right now, I own one perpetual calendar in my collection which is also my only watch from JLC.

After owning this watch for close to 2 years,  I'm still amazed at its extreme thinness and compact design.  The MUT collection highlights JLC’s powerness in micro mechanical engineering and superior craftsmanship.  The 868/1 movement consisting of 336 parts is capable of displaying date, day of the week, month of year, year and moon phase.  The nice thing about a perpetual calendar is that there is no need to adjust dates (even for leap years) during one’s lifetime! As there are so many parameters to adjust, setting a perpetual calendar could be a pain.  People often cite perpetual calendar watches as the main reason for getting a watch winder.   However, in JLC’s design, there is only one pusher to advance and synchronize the day/date/month and moon phase.  One only needs to keep pushing until the current date is reached.   This also means that if the watch is left idle for a year, one will have to push 365 times or so to catch up to the current date.  

The dial of this watch is beautifully designed with 3 subdials and one moon-phase indicator with blue background and golden moon and stars. The four digit year number is located at the 7 o’clock area.  There are minute markers at the outermost area of the dial which offer accurate time readout.  With so much information presented on the dial,  there is no difficulty in getting what you need at a glance, thanks to the thoughtful dial design.  This watch can be the dress watch for any collections and 39mm dial size is perfect for many people.  The black alligator leather strap is gorgeous with a double folding clasp.  I paired a blue strap with this watch to go with the blue color in the moon phase display, so it is a bit less formal. 

The transparent caseback and the skeletonized gold rotor offer a clear view of an elegantly designed movement.  The power reserve is 38 hours which is not high but quite consistent with a very compact and thin movement.  The efficiency of the energy system seems quite good as the rotor will spin forcefully with a nice sound when you lightly shake the watch.  The accuracy of this watch is -1.9 seconds per day, measured in actual wear over 66 days, which is fantastic.  

As a happy owner of this JLC MUT perpetual calendar watch, I would recommend this model to anyone who is looking for a perpetual calendar to his/her collection.  The stainless steel case is cool and makes it more affordable among the more prestigious brands.  It just ticks a lot of boxes in terms of functionalities, brand history and price.  Last but not least, JLC offers now an eight year warranty which is the longest in the industry (only IWC may match with this length).  

Additional information and reviews:

•  The JLC product page

• The watchbase product page

• A review by Monochrome

• A review by Factello

• A video review by Hafiz

• A video review by Swiss Watch Gang

• A recommendation by Ben Clymer