Jaeger-LeCoultre 2017 Novelties Italian Travelogue

No matter how hard you try, only the natural light manages to sublimate the watches dials. Jaeger-Lecoultre Italy, with the precious assistance of the staff of the Rome boutique, gave me the chance to check this fact by organizing during the last summer a one-day stroll to villages of the Lazio region with several 2017 novelties to accompany me. I was obviously not going to miss such an opportunity to discover the villages of Civita Castellana and Calcata, both located in the north of Rome in such a pleasant company! So one morning we left the boutique located Piazza di Spagna to reach these villages by hitting the Via Flaminia with a watch case featuring a very promising content made of the Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve in steel with blue dial, the Master Geographic, the Master Chronograph and of course a Reverso: the Tribute Moon. I could choose more precious watches like gold or platinum pieces but I wanted, for practical reasons, to stay only with steel watches at reasonable prices  to appreciate the Jaeger-Lecoultre offer in price ranges below 10,000 euros for the Master and 15,000 euros for the Reverso.

I propose you to discover the pictures and my feelings relative to these watches but in the first place, here are some shots taken in the lanes of these delightful villages which are relatively little frequented by tourists. And I can give the proof: we haven't met any! I must admit that it was very nice to escape from the Roman rush to enjoy the Italian sun in a much quieter and relaxing atmosphere.

An alley of the village of Civita Castellana:



Inside the Forte Sangallo:





A view of the village of Calcata:



A hidden beauty (yes, I'm always hunting for Fiat 500 and this one was a beautiful specimen):



This alley is the perfect image of the village: small, charming and welcoming.



What a setting for a simple and delicious lunch!





Even if the village of Calcata is small, every corner fills our eyes with wonder.



1) The Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve

The Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve is a Jaeger-Lecoultre classic with such a distinctive dial layout. The watch underwent a case enlargement  a few years ago to reach a diameter of 39mm. This year Jaeger-Lecoultre presented a new version with a deep azurite blue dial which is really successful.

I perceive two interests from this dial: first, it is very beautiful (and it is not so easy to achieve with a blue dial!). The blue is perfectly dosed and it causes very nice variations of color and intensity depending on the light conditions. Then, it contributes to the reduction of the perception of the size which is a positive point for a watch which wants to be elegant. Elegant but not too formal. The Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve is first and foremost a harmonious and balanced watch (its thickness is close to 10mm and therefore its qualifier of Ultra Thin is a bit exaggerated), which has a certain originality thanks to its dial and which is comfortable and easy to wear in any circumstance, even with a casual outfit.

The caliber 938, with a 4hz frequency and a power reserve of forty hours is nicely decorated and is highlighted by the gold winding mass. Even if the case is now a little too large for it, it remains very pleasant to observe.

Undoubtedly, this watch is one of my favorites from the current Jaeger-Lecoultre collection. The deep azurite blue dial is also available in the simple automatic version of the Master Ultra-Thin (the Small Second) but the small difference in price between the two watches (7.350 euros vs 8.650 euros for the Reserve de Marche version in France) clearly tips the balance in favor of the latter which has a stronger aesthetic punch.

You can observe the different shades of the dial according to the inclination of the wrist and the light conditions:



Deep blue or lighter blue? The watch offers a spectacular range of blue colors!











2) The Master Geographic

The Master Geographic presented at the 2017 SIHH is part of the Masters that have been redesigned from an aesthetic point of view by injecting a touch of "neo-retro" symbolized by the design of the main hands. But that's not all. This watch offers a simpler dial than the "traditional" Master Geographic (still available), the good news being that this simplification had an impact on the price which decreases from 10,800 euros to 9,800 euros for this version.

I think the simplification is a very good companion for this watch. Reading the second time zone remains natural (what a pleasure to have both the hour and minute hand on the subdial dedicated to the complication!) and it is also the case for the cities of reference of the timezones. The withdrawal of the date and power reserve displays doesn't pose a problem to me. The watch appears to be less sophisticated and perhaps more relaxed.

Its strong asset to my eyes is its color range. The combo of silver highlights and touches of black and blue is very pleasant to observe. The caliber is still the 939B with a power reserve of forty hours for a 4hz frequency. We find again the same configuration than with the Master Ultra-Thin Power Reserve: the movement is a bit small for the case (39mm diameter again) but its decoration, without being exceptional, is pleasant and embellished by the winding mass in gold.

This Master Geographic is also part of my current favorite Jaeger-Lecoultre watches thanks to its quality of execution and its useful complication.

The silver shades of the dial are a real feast for the eyes:







I have to find now a point of interest in St Georgia!



These hands!



I'm seduced by the silver shades and also by the dial lay-out:













3) The Master Chronograph

The Master Chronograph was the subject of an aesthetic redesign similar to that of the Master Geographic. I found unsurprisingly the same main hands and the same way to indicate the indexes, inspired by the "sector dials". Still in the same logic, the Master Chronograph presented at the 2017 SIHH is simplified compared to the "traditional" version and its price is revised downward (from 9,000 euros to 8,300 euros). The withdrawal of the date display is good news but I don't feel the same about the removal of the permanent second hand. Anyway, I like this simple chronograph lay-out. You can also note that a tachymeter scale replaces the pulsometric scale of the "traditional" version. Maybe this is a way to indicate that the new Master Chronograph has a more sportive and relaxed vocation?

Like the Master Geographic, the Master Chronograph uses a 39mm diameter case. Its thickness is 12mm what remains reasonable. The watch is certainly very nice to look at and to wear but I didn't feel the same emotions as with the Master Geographic. I also didn't find again the similar silver shades. Is it due to the shape of the glass? to a different anti-reflective coating? I liked the Master Geographic much more about this particular point.

The Master Chronograph is powered by the caliber 751G featuring a column wheel and with a 4hz frequency and a power reserve of 65 hours. It is not visible since the caseback is solid. It is not a major problem because I think that Jaeger-Lecoultre should have decorated it more thoroughly, especially using a gold winding mass.

Despite its qualities and its relatively attractive price, I was less seduced by this watch than by its sister dedicated to travelers.

You will notice that the reflections of the dial are not exactly the same as those of the Master Geographic:



The watch on the wishing well:















4) The Reverso Tribute Moon

The Reverso Tribute Duoface presented in 2016 is one of my favorite Reverso. I particularly liked its proportions that I found ideal for a shaped watch. The Reverso Tribute Moon, which is part of a similar aesthetic approach is however larger while remaining reasonable. However, there is no need to deny it, the increase in size is easily felt (its dimensions are very close to  50x30mm).

I still like this watch because the two dials it offers seduce me. On one side the silver dial with a grainy finish that includes the  moonphases and date display. On the other, a deep blue dial decorated with a guilloche Clous de Paris pattern that offers a spectacular day & night display. It is this side that I much prefer and if I owned the watch, I could easily imagine wearing it more frequently with the blue dial side visible.

Thanks to the Duoface system, the Reverso Tribute Moon can also be used to display a second time zone. It is equipped with the handwind caliber 853A with a 3hz frequency and a power reserve of 42 hours. Oh, if only this watch was a few millimeters less ... it has everything else to seduce me! It is nevertheless pretty successful  and it is, according to me, one of the best representatives of the current Reverso collection.

As usual, the light dial enlarges the perception of size:





My fav side... but did you notice the different decoration styles of the dial?



I'm in love this this day&night display!











This day was therefore for me a true joyful moment. What a pleasure to enjoy these watches in such a setting! Every time I will put them again on the wrist (and I want to do it very soon for some of them!), I will obviously think back to this very pretty Italian stroll. Owning a mechanical watch is above all the embodiment of a certain art of living and this day reminded to me very appropriately this fact. I would like to warmly thank Lucia from Jaeger-Lecoultre Italy as well as Claudia and Carlotta from the Rome boutique.

Fr.Xavier