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amanico
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JLC SIHH 2013: The Master Ultra Thin Perpetual 39.

Quantiemes Perpetuels and La Grande Maison... This is a long love story.

Before unveiling the all new MUT 39 PC, let me invite you to a brief journey into time.

A journey which started circa.... 1890, with the Calibre 19RMCSQ, or 10 years later ( 1903 ), the Cal 17 JVBQP.

The Calibre 19/20 RMCSQ in this Grande Complication Pocket Watch ( 1895 )





Another Grande Complciation Pocket Watch from 1928:



With its fabulous movement, the Cal 17 JSMCCRVQ:



Another nice Perpetual Calendar from 1934:



In our modern days, Jaeger-Lecoultre re introduced the perpetual calendar complication in the late Eighties... 1987, to be precise, with two models which will pre figure the richness and the amazing diversity of the collection to come.

A simple perpetual calendar, the Odysseus, animated by the Cal 889 / 440, a module developped by IWC, while the movement was made at the Grande Maison.





An interesting particularity of the Odysseus QP is that there is no pusher to set the perpetual calendar datas.

Yes, this is the unique modern perpetual calendar from JLC whose informations can be set from... The crown!

The Grand Reveil, which associates an alarm to a perpetual calendar, which is logical, as Perpetual Calendars and Alarms are two specialities from the Grande Maison, was unveiled in 1989, and discontinued in 1997.





Two pictures ( dial and back side ) of the Cal 919:





The Cal 919 is a heavily modified Cal 916 ( Alarm ) with a QP module.

The Odysseus is the elder brother of the Master Quantieme Perpetuel, which saw the light in 1996, while the Grand Reveil gave birth to the Master Grande Memovox, in 2000.

The Master Quantieme Perpetuel ( Picture borrowed to one of us, but I can't remember who, sadly, for the credit )



The Master QP was in production till 2005. Its 37 mm case was welcomed by connoisseurs.

A dial and a movement which were close to the Odysseus, obviously ( Cal 889 / 440 / 2 for the Master QP ).

The Master Grande Memovox:





The Master Grande Memovox had a 41, 5 mm case, more conventionaly shaped than the Grand Reveil, whose movement was an evolution of its elder brother ( Cal 919 for the Grande Memovox ).

It was replaced in 2005 by the... Grand Reveil, whose design was more modern looking, with an interesting combination of " Alarms " ( vibration AND / OR Alarm, at your choice ), and a bigger case ( 43 mm ).

The Grand Reveil ( Cal 909 / 1 )



That is far from being all...

In 2004, Jaeger-Lecoultre had the excellent idea to couple an eight days movement to the perpetual calendar.

The famous Antoine Lecoultre 8 Days Perpetual Calendar:



Which came in a superb skeleton version, 3 years after ( 2008 ) :



This is an excellent association because an 8 days movement will allow you to not wear your watch for a while, WITHOUT having to set all the datas of your perpetual calendar, each time the movement stops.

These 8 Days Perpetual Calendars ( Cal 876 ) are housed in a 41, 5 mm case, in platinum or in rose gold.

Here, the Cal 876 in its skeleton version:



An 8 Days Perpetual Calendar we saw, revisited, in 2011, in a smaller case ( 40 mm ), available in stainless steel or rose gold. ( Same movement, Cal 876 ).





The Perpetual Calendar has also been included in some " high end " creations from the Manufacture.

The Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetuel, in 2009:



Which is a " simple " tourbillon and a quantieme perpetuel watch, animated by the automatic movement Cal 987.

A Master Grande Tradition which was improved in 2013 for the Jubilé Collection, with a flying tourbillon and a cylinder shaped spiral ( Cal 985 ) in a new case, still in 42 mm.



If we go deeper in the madness, we have to mention two awesome perpetual calendars, here.

The Gyrotourbillon one, released in 2004:



43 mm of dream, gathering a retrograde perpetual calendar, an equation of time, an eight days power reserve and a spherical tourbillon.

The Cal 177 of the Gyrotourbillon One:



And, of course, the epitome of the Grande Complication, the Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie ( 2009 ), including, among other things, a flying tourbillon, a Grande, Petite Sonnerie, Minute Repeater and an instantaneous perpetual calendar...



The Cal 182 and its 1600 parts:



Jaeger-Lecoultre is not the Grande Maison for nothing...

For those who prefer a perpetual calendar in a rectangular watch, the alternative exists.

From the " simple " Reverso Perpetual Calendar released in a limited series of 500 pieces, in the year 2000 ( Cal 855 )



To the enormous Reverso Grande Complication à Tritpyque ( 2006 ), here in an elusive white gold version ( credit picture: Antiquorum ) including the perpetual calendar to a zodiacal calendar, an equation of time, and a flying tourbillon:



We can seriously say that no other brand than JLC can offer such a diversity in the expression of the perpetual calendar complication.

Once that being said, let's now have a look at the all new offer from the Grande Maison, the MUT Perpetual Calendar 39

For those who felt the nostaly of a simple, sober and small perpetual calendar as the Master Perpetual Calendar was, they will be happy to see this new offer.

I/ The case:

You will immediately recognize the case of the MUT Moon 39, which was warmly in 2011:



And of the MUT RDM, introduced in the catalog in 2012:



A case which cannot been seen as Ultra Thin, to say all, but of an undisputable elegance.

The MUT Perpetual 39:



Not an ultra thin case, but slightly thinner than the MUT Moon 39 and the MUT RDM 39, by the way.

Indeed, the MUT Moon is 9, 9 mm high, the MUT RDM is 9, 85 mm, while the MUT Perpetual is 0, 65 mm thinner than the RDM.

We are far from the figures of the other perpetual calendar brother, the Master Eight Days Perpetual 40 ( 40 mm diameter / 12, 84 mm thick ).

The slim bezel, and these willowy lugs are contributing to the beauty of this case, whole profile is a big part of its charm:



Another nice detail, the bevels on the lugs, as you can see on the photo above.

The see through case back, held by 4 screws, let show the movement, the Calibre 868:



At 7 o'clock is located the pusher, which will be used to set all the datas for the perpetual calendar: Date, Date, Month, Year, and Moonphase.

II/ The movement.

The Cal 868 is an automatic movement, made of 336 pieces, with 46 jewels, and offering a power reserve of 43 hours, and is a tad thinner than the Cal 925 of the MUT Moon 39 and the Cal 938 of the MUT RDM 39 ( 4, 90 mm in both cases while the Cal 868 is 4, 66 mm high ).

Which may partially explain why the MUT Perpetual 39 has a slightly less high case...

The Cal 868 in its elegant environment:



III/ The dial.

Or should I say the dials, as we have several versions, here, with dedicated dials.

> White Gold case=Silver grained dial, with applied black nickel indexes.

> Rose Gold case=Eggshell dial, with applied polished gold indexes.

And... And... A first on the Net,

> Stainless Steel: Silver sunburst dial, with polished rodhied applied indexes.

The dial borrows a simple design, for a perpetual calendar, which serves the purpose of legibility, a main purpose for such a complication.

Here, all the functions are displayed in a clean and classic way.

The " danger zone " which shows when you should NOT set the date of your watch ( between 10 PM and 4 AM ), is discretely located just above the axis of the hands.

The hands which are empty at their base, to allow you to see the danger zone indicator, when they are somewhere between 10.55 and 1.05 o' clock. Smart. And discrete.

The eggshell and the silver sunburst finishes are well known, for JLC fans, but the grained silver dial is much more uncommon, and very pleasant to see.

Here they are.

- The White Gold:









- The Stainless Steel:









- The Rose Gold:







IV Conclusion:

Mechanically speaking, the MUT Perpetual 39 is not a revolutionnary watch. Its modular conception is well known, the date always changes at around 3 AM, details which are well known by the JLC aficionado.

An effort has been made to reduce the height of the movement, to fight against thickness, which is a good point.

The layout of the perpetual calendar is a classic and won't disorient those who loved the Master Perpetual Calendar which was born in 1996.

Its legibility is undisputable, too, and the grained silver dial is an interesting novelty, in terms of look and finish.

Here is a side by side shot of the stainless steel and white gold version:



The really good idea is to have associated this dial and this movement in such a beautiful case, which I prefer to the Master 8 Days Perpetual 40.

Moreover, it is also a wink to the History of the Manufacture, whose other speciality was and still is Ultra Thin cases, even if we can't considerer the MUT 39 Perpetual as an Ultra Thin watch.

The retail being around 16 000 Euros for the SS version, and around 30 000 Euros for the White Gold and Rose Gold models, we can say that it is an interesting solution for all those who are in the search of a nice, serious and well made perpetual calendar, without having to sell the house.

A smart offer, which will be available worldwilde, at the JLC Boutiques and ADs, at the exception of the stainless steel version, which will be reserved to the Boutiques.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts and comments,

Best, Nicolas. This message has been edited by amanico on 2013-03-05 22:19:08 This message has been edited by amanico on 2013-03-09 01:49:33

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