In the lead-up to SIHH 2019, Jaeger-LeCoultre has announced a deluxe iteration of one of its most popular models, the Master Ultra Thin Moon. First introduced in 2012 with galvanic finish dials, the new Master Ultra Thin Moon has been upgraded with a deep blue flinqué enamel dial, in a limited edition of just 100 pieces.

Flinqué enamel is a combination of enamelling and engine-turning. The dial base is first engraved with a guilloche pattern – done here the traditional way using a hand-operated rose engine – then painted with liquid enamel. It’s then fired in an oven to harden the enamel. The process is repeated several times until the desired colour is achieved, after which the dial is then polished to give it a smoother surface and clear sheen.

Apart from the new finish, several elements of the dial have been redesigned, giving it a greater degree of detail. The enamelled Master Ultra Thin Moon features slim, delicately elongated hour markers, a mirror-polished moon as well as a relief engraved date track with a frosted finish.

Dial aside, the rest of the watch remains unchanged. The case is white gold and measures 39mm in diameter and 10.04mm high – a hair thicker than the standard version due to the thickness of the enamel dial.

Inside is the ultra-thin automatic caliber 925/2 that stands just 4.9mm. It comprises 246 parts and has a 70-hour power reserve. The rotor is made of 18k rose gold, open-worked to form a large Jaeger-LeCoultre logo. In typical Jaeger-LeCoultre style, the movement is decorated attractively, albeit mechanically, with the bridges finished with Geneva stripes, along with blued screws and perlage on the base plate.

Price and Availability 

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel (ref. Q13635E1) is limited to 100 pieces, with the retail price yet to be announced. But the same in white gold with an ordinary silvered dial is priced at US$18,800, so expect this to cost a good deal more, probably in the region of US$8000 to US$10,000 extra.

RJ, formerly known as Romain Jerome, has made a specialty of sometimes startling and usually nostalgic watches incorporating pop culture icons, ranging from the retro Pac-Man and Super Mario to the contemporary favourites like as Pokémon and Hello Kitty. The brand has even partnered comic book arch-rivals Marvel and DC Comics to put both superheroes like Spiderman and Batman on its watch dials.

Now, in the lead-up to SIHH 2019, RJ turns instead to the DC Comics super-villain, the acid-scarred Two-face (and also the “Clown Prince of Crime”, the Joker). The Arraw Two-Face is a literal interpretation of the character who was Gotham’s former District Attorney, Harvey Dent, and his deformed alter ego, with the watch separated into two halves right down the middle.

The Arraw watch case, with its distinctive quartet of rubber bumpers on the case sides, is a massive 45mm in diameter. It’s made of titanium and features a wide, rounded bezel.

But to echo Harvey Dent’s disfigured face, the right side of the case has been distressed with laser engraving, creating an irregular surface finish, while the left of the case is satin brushed. Similarly, the right side of the dial has been removed, exposing the skeleton movement, standing in contrast to the left, which retains a clean, black dial. Another Two-Face touch is the rotating coin that functions as a constant seconds hand, a reference to Two-Face’s famous coin.

The rubber-lined, calf leather strap is made of two piece of hide joined lengthwise, continuing the duality of the case. It can easily be swapped using the quick release buttons bearing the Batman logo on the side of the lugs.

Inside the two-faced case is the hand-wound, skeletonised RJ004-M, produced by movement specialist La Joux-Perret, owned by Citizen of Japan. The elongated, curved click spring for the winding mechanism is a signature feature of the La Joux-Perret calibre.

Visible through the case back – and having a uniform finish throughout – the movement is laid out vertically, with the skeletonised barrel at 12 o’clock and balance wheel at six. It runs at 28,800 beats per hour, or 4Hz, and has a 48-hour power reserve.

Price and Availability

The RJ Arraw Two-Face (ref. 1C45S.TTTR.5023.AR.TWF18) is a limited edition of 100 pieces, priced at SFr21,800.