Not long back, we released the news that Jaeger-LeCoultre had updated the Master Calendar collection in this year’s SIHH here. Recently, in Ion Orchard, Jaeger-LeCoultre had an exhibition in collaboration with the launch of their new boutique there. One of the pieces that was exhibited was the new Master Calendar with the Meteorite Dial, and we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with this mesmerizing timepiece.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar, in stainless steel, and featuring the beautiful meteorite dial.
The Master Calendar collection is not something new from Jaeger-LeCoultre; in fact, it has been around for quite some time already. We thought that the Master Calendar is a very nice dress watch. Although it features many complications, the watch is still able to deliver a rather clean and uncluttered facade. It is also very aesthetically pleasing and appealing as well.
In this updated version. the Master Calendar gets a rather new and refreshing reinterpretation. Instead of the usual silvered sunray-brushed dial, the updated Master Calendar features a dial that was made from a meteorite discovered in Sweden. The meteorite came supposedly from an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Although we are not really into astronomy, we were certainly intrigued by the looks and the story behind the meteorite. This is also probably one of the few rare opportunity that one is able to attain something from the elusive and mysterious outer space.
The watch actually looks really good with the meteorite dial. The fact that each dial is unique makes this watch even much more special.
What we particularly like about the meteorite dial is how each piece is unique, since different parts of the stone offers a different graining, texture, and look. The meteorite may not be perfect (since it is au naturel) but it gives the watch a certain character and style that cannot be attained from a man-made dial. That is the allure of stone dials, and that is why they are highly-prized and sought-after.
The process of developing the meteorite dial is rather complicated, due to the fact that the stone contains a high amount of iron content. As mentioned from our previous article, the dial come from a big block of meteorite. It is then slowly and intricately cut into thin plates. The process is meticulous, and any lapse in concentration may damage the dial and certain portions of the meteorite stone.
There are also some rather subtle differences between the detailing on the meteorite dial and the usual silvered sunray-brushed dial. Firstly, the date pointer is blue, instead of red previously. Also, the number “31” on the dial is finished in blue as well.
The watch is powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house Calibre 866.
Similar to the other Master Calendar pieces, the entire collection is powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s own Calibre 866. It is a self-winding movement, and it features a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. The movement contains 305 components, and it features complications such as the day indicator, date indicator, month indicator, and a moonphase.
The Jeager-LeCoultre Master Calendar is a rather handsome watch, and at each angle the meteorite dial gives the watch a fresh perspective.
At 39mm, we reckon that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar is sized perfectly for any gentlemen. In fact, it fits really nicely on our wrists. The Master Calendar makes a rather nice dress watch, and the gorgeous meteorite dial is certainly going to make this an excellent conversational piece. Legibility may be a slight issue here for some, as the color dauphine hands and indices may not contrast very well with the grey meteorite dial. Another issue, in our opinion, will be the luminescent plots on the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position of the dial. While the luminescent plots plays a rather important role in the dark, but we thought that it had kind of stuck out like a sore thumb on the dial. Even though tiny details like this may be insignificant, but we felt that it had conflicted with the dressier and classier nature of this timepiece. However, if we put these little problems aside, we think that this has got to be one of the nicest calendar timepieces that is around in the market.
Finally, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar with Meteorite Dial comes in two variants: in stainless steel or pink gold. The former is priced at SGD$16,000, while the latter is priced at SGD$33,100.
Specifications from Press Release
Reference: 1552540 (Pink Gold) 1558421 (Stainless Steel)
Case material: Pink Gold/ Stainless Steel
Strap/bracelet: Alligator Leather
Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre: 866
Movement
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- Automatic
- Number of pieces : 305
- Vibrations per hour : 28800
- Power-reserve : 40 Hours
- Jewels : 32
- Barrel : 1
- Height : 5.65 mm
Functions
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- Hour – Minute
- Seconds
- Day
- Month
- Date
- Moon phases
Case
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- Pink Gold/ Stainless Steel
- Water resistance : 5 bar
- Diameter : 39mm
- Thickness : 10.6mm
Dial
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- Ruthenium meteorite, 4N gold appliques/ Grey meteorite
Hands
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- Dauphines
Strap/bracelet
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- Alligator Leather
Buckle
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- Pin Buckle 16.0 mm (for Pink Gold)/ Double Folding Buckle 16.0 mm (for Stainless Steel)
