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In Context

At 26 mm this is jewellery scale — a watch sized to be worn as an ornament rather than read across a room. At 11 mm thick it is about average for a modern wristwatch. The case back is closed, so the movement stays out of sight, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. Rated to 30 m, it is protected against rain and splashes and nothing beyond that.

The movement is hand-wound, so winding it becomes part of the day rather than something the watch does for you. Its 35-hour reserve wants wearing most days; leave it off and it stops. At 21,600 vph the seconds hand advances 6 times a second, the slower and more audible rate of an older design.

216279 stands on its own in this catalogue — no other reference here shares its base number. It pairs a silver dial with a pink gold case. It was a limited edition.

At 1.85 mm deep, long the thinnest hand-wound movement in production, and the direct descendant of the 839 of 1975. Its 123 parts leave no room for a rotor, which is rather the point: the calibre exists so a mechanical watch can be made almost flat. A Glucydur balance and flat Nivarox hairspring regulate it, with Côtes de Genève on the bridges.

5 other watches in the library run the Jaeger-LeCoultre 849.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Ultra Thin Pink Gold Diamond

1452507 · 34 mm

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Ultra Thin 1907 Boutique Edition

12935E1 · 39 mm

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Ultra Thin Knife

1152520 · 40 mm

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Ultra Thin 1907 Platinum

1296520 · 39 mm