Jaeger LeCoultre Vintage Master 23303-42 38mm (1970s)

This Master-Quartz truly deserves its name. It sports an early quartz movement, and offers a dial that could only have been designed in the 1970s.

The 1960s marked the race for the best quartz caliber, a competition in which the traditional Swiss watchmaking companies were definitely involved. Together, 21 of them built the Beta-21, but it was thick and large, which explains why Jaeger-LeCoultre instead turned to the caliber 352 from Girard-Perregaux. It was considered to be one of the most advanced movements – although Jaeger-LeCoultre rather referred to them as “modules” – offering an outstanding precision more than 10x better than its mechanical counterparts. As one can expect, the Master-Quartz was extremely coveted at its launch. It was also very pricey, which is reflected in the quality of its finishings and the modernistic design of its dial.

The dial of this Master-Quartz displays a buzzsaw pattern characteristic of the 1970s (a similar one can also be found on a Universal Genève Unisonic), and it is in excellent condition. The tritium plots are all present, but the lume on the handset has aged slightly differently than that on the dial. The crown is signed, and the waterproof caseback sports the correct engravings, including the reference and serial number.

Specifications:

• Model: Vintage Master, 23303-42
• Dial: Silver with luminescent swords and date feature at 3 o’clock
• Crystal: Plexiglass
• Case: Stainless steel, 38mm
• Bracelet: Grey suede strap
• Movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre quartz, caliber 352
• Water Resistance: Not recommended