Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date : long term review

For approximately 15 years, as a teenager then student, I wore a Swatch (ref. YGS715) given to me by my late grandfather. It was the perfect winger: legible, accurate (quartz), well sized (38 mm), comfortable, and with a lovely champagne sunburst dial.

As a young professional, I wanted something more refined. I went with a couple of Omegas (SM300P, AquaTerra) and a Junghans (Meister Calendar) but there was always something that unpleased me. After two years of ownership, I sold everything and began the hunt.

I wanted a moderately sized watch, champagne dial, brown leather strap, with a date at 3. I wanted an everyday / office watch that can be easily dressed up. I have spent hours and hours browsing every watch brand website, becoming the watch expert I am now (lol). I built up a short list of watches I wanted to see and begun visiting ADs.

I walked in a JLC boutique asking for a Reverso. The sales associate listened patiently my troubles and suggest me to see the Master Control Date, a watch I had quickly eliminated when browsing JLC website because of… too meh, and without enough contrast. I walked away with that watch. Lesson learned: you can’t really make your opinion on a watch if you have not seen it in flesh.

After a few months of ownership, I noticed a default in power reserve: the watch would stop about 10 to 30 hours after a day wearing it (or winding it). In some cases, the date disc misaligned after an incomplete date jump (another power reserve issue?). I was somehow disappointed, it was my first issue with an automatic watch. Bad luck? I sent it back, JLC serviced it but did not explain me what went wrong. I lost confidence in this watch, refused to wear it for several months and considered to sell it and move to another brand.

But it is so beautiful and timeless (you can say boring), I love it!

Specifications and some personal comments

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date, ref. Q4018420.

Diameter 40 mm. It would be even better in 39 or even 38 mm given that the dial is quite empty.

Thickness 8,78 mm. This is thin, like really thin. It disappears under every cuff.

Lug-to-lug 47,5 mm.

Lug width 20 mm. But I only use JLC straps as there is a quick change setting for the strap and the deployant buckle. It comes with a calfskin leather strap advertised as top notch but, honestly, I don’t see a tangible difference with any other leather strap.

Weight 68 grams. Feather-like.

Water resistant up to 5 ATM or 50 meters. It could be 30 m, I don’t care, I won’t swim with this watch and I do not have any friend fooly enough to push me into a pool.

Caliber 899 AC, 28 800 A/h, 32 jewels, 218 components, lift angle 48°, jumping date around midnight, 70 hours of power (finger crossed!), anticlockwise unidirectional winding (800 to 950 turns per day on a winder). Adjusted in 6 positions and regulated to -1/+6 seconds per day. Mine is running between 0 (worn) /+3 (static) spd.

The case is brushed on the sides, it gives it a more “everyday” look.

Caseback is superb with its engraving and the view on the movement (a looker).

The date window is perfectly done (I am picky about date apertures) and readable.

Second hand is heated blue, minute and hours hands are both polished and brushed. It was the first time I saw this treatment in person, and it works surprisingly well, legibility is not an issue.

The crown is easy to catch and to operate. Winding is surprising as it is so smooth you don’t feel anything (I prefer the haptic sensation of gears, when you hear the “clicks”).

As it is common in the watch world, the dial is almost impossible to transcript if you do not see it with your naked eye. It is a glorious champagne dial. A ray of light? Showtime!