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Jaeger Lecoultre Master Ultra Thin Jubilée / 1907 White Gold Enamel. The best Master Ultra Thin?

amanico
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Finding my Jaeger Lecoultre Ultra Thin watch is a work in progress for some years, now. 

The easy way would be to find a MUT 34 in platinum with its superb grey blue dial or a steel black dial.

I am fine with the 34 mm case, the Cal 849 which I really love, but in 2013, I started to have my heart beat faster when I discovered the MUT Jubilée. 

Better than the MUT 34? THAT is the question! 

There are some big pros for the MUT Jubilée: 

- The " couteau " ( knife shaped ) case, which is truly spectacular and which I prefer to the MUT 34 case:

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- The thinness is better with the MUT Jubilée with only 4, 95, versus 5, 75 mm for the MUT 34!

- The minimalist dial, more sober than the MUT 34, purer, too, maybe? 

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- The solid case back, which I think is a very smart choice. The Cal 849 is a very good movement, but in the MUT 34 it seems lost, so you can imagine how it looks in a 39 mm case! 

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The MUT 1907 in white gold has the advantage of its enamel dial, which is absolutely stunning, in terms of warmth and depth. 

The leaf hands are sublime!

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There is a price to pay: It is 1 mm higher than the Jubilée, due to its enamel dial... 5, 05 mm are better than the 5, 75 mm of the MUT 34, still!

It also has its solid case back. 

I've been told by Jaeger Lecoultre than the choice of a solid case back was dictated by the height, which would have been slightly more important with a see through case back...

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Now, the cons: 

- The case size of these 2 MUT ( Jubilée and 1907 ). With a 39 mm diameter, I find it a tad too big. For me, the ideal size would be 37 or maximum 38 mm. 

- The dial of the Jubilée is a bit flat. While the case is spectacular, the dial, in comparison, is, somehow, a bit... Shy? 

- The hands of the Jubilée... I would have preferred the leaf shaped hands of the white gold enamel 1907 which are truly magnificent. 

- The 1 mm thicker white gold enamel 1907, but we saw the reason behind that. 

- The price of the white gold enamel 1907. At more than 30, 000 Euros, it is not really what I call a bargain. While the Platinum Jubilée was an impressive good deal at 13, 500 Euros ( from memory ). The difference in price is hard to justify. 

All in all, weighting the pros and the cons, I would say that the MUT Jubilée and the MUT 1907 have my preference, here, and that, despite its extra millimeter, the 1907 white gold enamel is my favorite for its dial and hands.

Now, I have to be patient, and I need a bit of luck to find one more reasonably priced, as it is its biggest inconvenient, in my opinion. 

What about you? 

Best,

Nicolas

Comments:
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K-Lo May 11th, 2020-02:37
I love the thinness of it. No doubt. I am afraid I would go for the more affordable piece, same engineering at a fraction of the price. You pay such a price for enamel, maybe if money was no object for me, I would think differently.
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amanico May 11th, 2020-02:38
But what about a good MUT Jubilée platinum? The price is a real deal.  
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K-Lo May 11th, 2020-02:42
Yes, that, I would go for. I just am not sure about it being too thin. Would have to handle it myself I guess. My Octo already feels fragile and my prior 15202 also seemed to be to be teetering on being too thing.
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amanico May 11th, 2020-02:43
The JLC MUT are very well made watches and can be enjoyed as daily wearers.  
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K-Lo May 11th, 2020-02:50
Yes, I would think so, guess I am drawn To more “other” complications than thinness many times.
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amanico May 11th, 2020-02:54
Which is understandable, too.  
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jml_watches May 11th, 2020-07:10
No wrong decisions - great watches Hi I've always been struck by the Ultra thin, especially the 34. I think that is mainly due to a tear down of one that I read - I know the W Odets one is still up on TZ from eons ago, but I'm also sure there was one here - when the site used to do full bl... 
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amanico May 11th, 2020-13:49
True that the 34 is less sought after, and that it is more interesting financially. I also agree on the perfect size for an UT. 36 or 37 mm would have been ideal. As I said, work in progress. Thank you for your superb answer, my dear JML.
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holdemchamp1225 May 11th, 2020-09:52
The enamel dial puts this one over the top as probably the best MUT but price wise, the older 34mm MUT in WG or PT is a better value proposition 🤷‍♂️  
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amanico May 11th, 2020-13:50
Agreed, but I think that the main factor is the pleasure. And here, the enamel is a champion for me.  
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amanico
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Jaeger Lecoultre new Master Control Line: Some close ups of the dials.

amanico
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I posted an article on the new Master Control line, last week. today I suggest we have a closer look on the dials. I had the idea to isolate the dials and to focus on them, to show the sunburst finish and some other details. Indeed, when you look at the pictures I posted last week, you don't see these details very well.


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