Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin 34 Review

amanico · 2018-09-18T11:41:30Z

Amanico reviews the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin 34, highlighting its Caliber 849, discrete charm, and why this ultra-thin dress watch remains a connoisseur's choice.

amanico

WPS member · Jaeger-LeCoultre forum

34 replies18053 views12 photos

Amanico presents a retrospective on the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin 34, a watch he describes as a testament to understated elegance and horological purity. He delves into its discrete charm, remarkable thinness, and the enduring appeal of its manual-winding Caliber 849, questioning why such a connoisseur's piece didn't achieve broader popularity.

The Master Ultra Thin lived a quite long life, with a bit more than a 10 years of production.

It was, by all meanings, a discrete watch, by its general allure, with a 34 mm case, its 4, 20 mm height, the sobriety of its dial with no other thing than a minutes and hours hands, and; last but not least, its GREAT movement, the manual winding Cal 849, born in 1994, which qualifies as a very thin one, with a height of 1, 85 mm only.

I summed in 4 lines all the interest of this watch.

Though, it was fully appreciated by Connoisseurs, only.

Is it because of its modest dimensions? Is it because of its remarkable thinness, or because of its very sober dial that this Master Ultra Thin was not that popular?

I would rather write " thanks to " rather than " because of ".

First of all, the Master Ultra Thin 34 ( which I will call MUT 34 ) is an example of class.

We often say " less is more " to describe what is a PuristS' Taste. Here, there is nothing to remove, of course, but most important, nothing to add, either. Would you see a date in such a pure dial? No way!

Even a second hand? No, please!

I do think that when a watch is well born, it is outstanding, whatever the metal of the case or the color of the dial.

Here, the other dial of the steel version, in black:

The MUT 34 existed in rose gold, white gold, steel and platinum. For the rose gold and steel, you had the choice between a black and a silver dial, while the white gold came with a grey dial, and the platinum with a sublime blue dial. Both are great choices, you cannot go wrong with any of them.

White Gold:

Platinum:

Here is another version, in white gold, skeletonized, limited to 75 pieces, issued around 2004:

Then, it is discretely sophisticated.

Here you have two essential parts which shouldn't be under appreciated: the case, and the movement.

Better, it is the interaction between the two which makes the sophistication of the MUT 34.

Here lies the challenge of this watch.

Do you want an evidence? Did you know that all the Master Ultra Thin are assembled at the Spécialités Horlogères workshop, where all the big complications are made?

In a 4, 20 mm case, you have to install the glass, the dial, the hands, the movement and the case back... There are few watches which do better, in terms of thinness, such as... Another Jaeger-Lecoutre MUT 39 Jubilé ( 4, 05 mm ), another Master Ultra Thin, the Master Ultra Thin Skeleton Enamel 38 ( 3, 60 mm ).

The solid case back of the steel case white dialed version:

The see through case back of the steel case, black dialed version:

Ok, the Cal 849 helps with a height of only 1, 85 mm but still, you only have a bit more than 2 extra mm for the rest...

As for the Cal 849, it is not only thin, it is also beautiful to look at.

For those who wonder why some prefer manual winding movements to automatic movements, here is a good reason:

That's the true challenge and value of this watch, a challenge that only the connoisseur can appreciate and fully enjoy. The sobriety ( form ) at the service of the content.

And a pretty convincing one!

So, if you are after a dress watch, with true horological content, without having to sell the house, the MUT 34 is THE watch to seriously consider.

Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,

Best.

Nicolas.

Key Points from the Discussion

Some early models of the Master Ultra Thin with solid casebacks were fitted with the older Caliber 839, indicating a movement transition during its production run.
The JLC Master Ultra Thin 34, with its Caliber 839/849 movements, is considered by some to be one of the best value propositions in haute horlogerie, especially given its historical connection to movements like the Vacheron Constantin 1003/Audemars Piguet 2003.
The watch's modest dimensions and pure, simple dial are seen as strengths by connoisseurs, embodying the "less is more" philosophy, rather than reasons for its limited mainstream popularity.
The Master Ultra Thin 34 is celebrated not just as a technical achievement but also as a highly wearable watch suitable for everyday use, despite its delicate nature.
The thinness of a watch, particularly one like the Master Ultra Thin, can be considered a complication in itself, requiring significant technical mastery.
The 34mm size is deemed perfectly adequate by many collectors, with the thinness and superb movement being key attractions.

The Discussion

mahesh

Sep 18, 2018

subtle & elegant. i think with that minimal dial & thin bezel - might be the feel is close to 36/37... Best, mahesh.,

xxn

Sep 18, 2018

been lusting on this for a decade, infact those Watch Snob posts are what brought this reference to my attention. Apparently JLC lost money on this one, from the very little information I’ve seen online (it just doesn’t get the props it deserves). A shame that today you can not walk into a jlc boutique and hardly find a manual wind non rectangular unless its a complication or in precious metal.

jml_watches

Sep 18, 2018

I'm sure it's been discussed here before, but thinness can be a complication too. Very much a case of less is more. One that is most definitely on the wish list. Thanks for the great overview! Cheers JML Ps wasn't there a tear down of one of these on the predecessor site? I seem to recall there be very positive comments in that too

jml_watches

Sep 18, 2018

One day I'll pull the trigger on one! Cheers JML

eklektik

Sep 19, 2018

First of all, thanks for the nice thread covering all aspects of this very nice JLC. The first thing I would add is that some early models with solid case back were fitted with the old I do not know how many but the following TimeZone article from 2002 proves it: The second point, another aspect and in addition to the technical marvel you described, is that the watch is not a museum piece to be left on a shelf. It is not only a technical achievement to show off how great manufaturer JLC is, it

amanico

Sep 19, 2018

And a point you are very right to highlight: These are watches you can wear everyday... Even if I wouldn't swim with it. Unless we are speaking about 50 meters... From the beach. Best, Nicolas

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