Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar

The History

One of the most storied brands in horological history, Jaeger LeCoultre is the epitome of elegance and innovation. Since its inception in 1833, the Maison of the iconic Swiss brand has produced some of the finest movements and technological advances in the watch industry including the world’s smallest movement, one of the world’s most complicated wristwatches, and the revered Atmos Clock. To date, JLC has patented and been responsible for the creation of more than 1,200 unique calibres. A clear, powerhouse breadwinner amongst watch aficionados.

Few brands have the ability to execute a timeless watch design on a consistent basis quite like Jaeger LeCoultre. The Master Calendar is such a watch and has been in the JLC repertoire for over 50 years. First produced in 1945, the aesthetic of the Master Calendar line draws its inspiration from the early onset of triple-calendar moon-phases produced during the late 1940s and early 1950s. At the time, the moon-phase feature was regarded as a simple, yet useful tool to remember the day, month, and moon cycle.

The Reference

The Master Calendar ref. 151.84.2A was first produced in 2005 and the model production ran until 2012. This particular watch is one of the earlier references with warranty papers dated 2006. The Master Calendar 151.84.2A we have available is considered part of Jaeger Master’s Control line,  benefitting from the in-house 1,000 Hours Control certificate – a program that certifies watches in terms of precision, temperature and pressure resistance, and robustness to shocks and magnetic fields.

The Case

The watch has a 40mm polished stainless steel case which sits nicely on the wrist and is in great condition, with minor signs of wear, and the original brown crocodile leather band with deployant clasp remains intact. The Original box and Jaeger LeCoultre papers dated February 2006 are also included. The case is 13.0mm thick and features an angled bezel, and downturned lugs in polished steel, with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and transparent exhibition case-back.

The Dial and Hands

The dial of this Master Calendar is in excellent condition with no scratches, discoloration or other faults. It pays homage to the 1940’s era of JLC in design. With its visible 43 hour power reserve indicator and triple-date display. The dial is a brilliant silver with applied stainless steel hour index markers, frosted steel hands, and features Arabic numerals for the date. A  red crescent indicator hand also allows for prominent visibility of numerals. A month-aperture is at 3 o’clock, and a day window at 9. A moon phase subdial is situated at 6 o’clock.

The Movement

A ton of time and effort has been spent on this movement. The Master Calendar features the Jaeger-LeCoultre automatic calibre 924 movement with fausses cotes embellishment. It is equipped with 41 jewels, and a straight-line lever escapement, and a shock absorber mechanism. The seller reports that the watch is running and keeping good time with all functions working properly. The service history is unknown.

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