There are few brands more under appreciated than Jaeger-LeCoultre. The brand is often referred to as the watchmaker's watchmaker due to its storied history as a movement manufacturer for other blue-chip watch companies. But JLC has plenty of symbols to its name, from the Cruz to the Polaris, and to only look at those models is to miss a serious value proposal by way of the Master Ultra Thin.
In today's edition of Specification on the handset Sheet, we are looking at the actual Master Ultra Thin Grande ref. Q1358420. This is about as pared-down a design from JLC as you're going to find in the Master Extremely Thin collection. It's a dress watch that is easily wearable as an everyday option and features one of the cleanest dials in the game. As the name suggests, this one is quite thin just 9mm as well as features the particular caliber 896 under the hood. Sometimes a watch just working on all cylinders. This is one such watch.
As for thin, this is old news. Quartz watches have been thin since their inception. My 1982 Concord is 4mm. What really strikes me is the design. It is teetering on the knife edge of Bauhaus design but not really committed to it. It is not a dress view at all. Comments below reference the Junghans Max Bill and Nomos that are unapologeticly Bauhaus. typically the JLC seems to be unwilling to quit the sixties markers to go full "modern. "
Understated, vertically integrated, classic, elegant design, heritage and serious high end chops. Great bang for the dollar. Yes, comparisons to value for money with PP are legit and true. JLC wins. I made that decision a few years back. I do wish it was 38mm.