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Tribute to 1931 Reverso review

Jeane123

Put Some Respect On My Name
6/4/15
4,069
16
0
JLC Reverso 1931 tribute review:
By jeane123

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The Mrs is out with friends, kids in bed, dog on my lap (yeah on my lap) so I have some time to myself and my good friends here on RWI. I have committed to doing a full review on the much anticipated puretime exclusive JLC Reverso 1931 tribute a while back and hopefully this wont dissapoint.

Please be forewarned I am not by any means a writer, editor, photographer or journalist and english is my second language. So if you find something please let me know and I can edit the review I welcome critics but please no crapping on the review in public.

I have now had this watch since the beginning of this year and have been wearing at at least 2 or three times a week. If you see any wearmarks on the photos please note its being worn, and being worn very often. I think my other watches are starting to get jealous haha.

History courtesy of timeandwatches.com: (http://www.timeandwatches.com/p/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-history.html)

I would like to spend some time on the history of this very unique piece.
It all started during the winter of 1930-1931. While travelling in India, the Swiss businessman and watch collector César de Trey attended a polo match at a club of British army officers. One of these officers, who had just broken the glass of his watch, challenged de Trey to create a watch model robust enough to resist to a polo match.

César de Trey discussed the idea with Jacques-David LeCoultre, the then owner of the LeCoultre manufacture, who could provide the movements for the new watch.

LeCoultre appointed the firm Jaeger S.A. for the creation of the reversible case, which in turn contracted the French designer René-Alfred Chauvot, the actual inventor of the unique slide and flip mechanism.

The result was an elegant watch with a dial that could flip, protecting it from shocks while offering a case back with a generous surface that could be used for personalization. The Patent below was awarded in March of 1931 and from then the JLC reverso as we know it today was born.

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The original Reverso case was 38 mm long, 24 mm large and 6 mm high, the same size of today's Reverso Classique. The dial of the original model featured only hours and minutes hands. It was only in 1934 that LeCoultre introduced a version with small seconds counter at six o'clock.
Representing an elegant and sophisticated response to a technical challenge, the Reverso established itself as a great Art Deco classic constantly inspiring the watchmakers, artists and inventors of the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre to reinterpret the back of the watch. And from that day these Reverso watches were personalised with engravings or enamel miniatures.

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Unfortunately, after World War II, with the mode switching to round watches, the symbol of the Art Deco was somehow disregarded compared to previous years. In the late 60s, the invasion of Japanese quartz watches put mechanical watches on the back burner for a while.

Luckily, an Italian watch dealer, Giorgio Corvo, noticed some unused Reverso cases at the Manufacture on a visit in 1972. He bought all of the remaining stock (200 empty cases), had movements installed and sold them all in Italy.

Confident that Reverso's re-launch would be a success, Corvo convinced the brand to use only mechanical movements in its models. Finally, in 1982 the Reverso was revived by JLC in a line of watches that housed mostly quartz movements.

In 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the first-ever water-resistant Reverso case. This required a complete makeover to offer unprecedented wearing comfort and guarantee total security in pivoting.

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While the first model of the Reverso comprised about 30 parts, it could only be swiveled at the far end of the cradle and it was not water-resistant, the second generation was not only water-resistant but it could also swivel at any point along the cradle. Each Reverso case now consisted of over 50 components, making it one of the most complicated cases in watchmaking.

The Reverso 60ème launched the era of limited editions of Reverso models with complications. Framed by a large-size 18 ct pink gold case, the solid silver guilloché dial conceals a hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 824 with a power-reserve and date hand.
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In 1994, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Duoface concept with the back of the watch featuring a second dial although driven by a single movement.

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Between 1994 and 2011 JLC have released a few models including the:
· Reverso Gyrotourbillon
· Reverso Grande Complication
· Reverso Grande GMT
· Reverso 70ème

And then in 2011 To celebrate its 80th birthday, the Reverso came out with a fresh take on the absolute classicism of its Art Deco lines, with the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin including two Tribute to 1931 models in honour of the very first Reverso models. This was available in two models, the European “sword hands” and then the North American “needle hands”

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That’s all great and very interesting but obviously if you are reading this you probably care more about the rep available right now from puretime than the gen. So lets get to it.

I ordered my rep from Angus @ puretime and opted to get the more expensive crocodile strap and I am honestly glad I did. I have not seen the other strap but in comparison to some of the other rep straps I have seen this is a very nice strap. After about 2 days I had some QC pictures and the first round I sent back due to some “alignment” issues. After the second set came I accepted and I had the watch within five days of the approval. The watch was very neatly packaged and anything less than “the apocalypse” wouldn’t have damaged it the way they packaged it.

The watch’s beat comes from a swiss ronda quartz movement and puretime currently has both of the abovementioned European and American versions.

Firstly, why did I get one?
Some of you already know I am more of an AP and PAM guy. But I had to get something that I can wear with suits, classic, classy and sporty at the same time (not taking away anything from my favorite AP’s) but I felt that the Reverso really fit that description to a tee.

Does the Quartz bug me?
Not at all, the lack of a second hand or a moving second indicator makes it almost unnoticeable unless you stare at it for more than 2 minutes there is no real way of seeing that this is a quartz, the up side… no maintenance J yeah I love mechanical and automatic watches but damn they can be pain at times.

How does it wear? Isn’t it small?
Yes the Reverso is smaller than our modern watches (and much smaller than the 47mm PAMS) at only 27.5mm wide and 46mm long it is a smaller watch and weighs very little as its only 7.5mm thick. My personal opinion is that if a watch still looks “weird” on my almost 8 inch wrist after a day its not for me, but surprisingly I got used to the size in about 2 hours.
You all know what I mean … that weird feeling you get when put on another watch on your wrist after wearing a PAM 187 or AP 44mm for days. But what this watch lacks in size it surely makes up for in class. The strap is surprisingly large, usually I have to get a XL strap(or order one in addition to) but this one was big enough and has about 3 holes to spare. I have heard of some people getting the “casa fagliano” straps (which are more affordable that one would think by the way) as those are what they come with when you buy the tribute gen as far as I know.I may order one in the near future but for now I am happy with the strap.

Here is a photo of mine on my almost 8 inch wrist
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And now onto some of the components of the watch and my opinion on it.

Movement: Obviously very reliable and stable :) and due to the lack of a second hand its not noticeable unless you stare at someone’s wrist close-up for a couple of minutes(and yes that is weird) it also helps getting the case this thin.

Dial: Not much to say here, its very plain, plain and simple and very classy from what I have seen it is 1:1 as per the gen. I only have high res images to compare to but if there is a flaw I cant find it.

Case: I do not have a gen to compare it to but the case is very sturdy and flips over with a gentle nudge, the flip is smooth and then clips into place. I especially like toying with it now and then which I probably shouldn’t but I have not felt it wear out yet and feel that it would last a while before doing so I like wearing the “reverso side” up now and then just to be different. Here are some photos of mine:

Case front:
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Case Side:
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Case Back: (Note the 3bar on the back actually reads 3bšr but is almost unnoticeable to the naked eye

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Open Case:

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Flipped in “Reverso” mode:

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Crystal: Crystal looks good, no AR as expected, I have no complaints, it fits the watch and the heritage perfectly.

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Strap: I opted for the croc, do I feel like it was worth the extra $90? Yes, I think so.
The specs on the strap: Lug Size 20mm to 18mm buckle, length 75mm and 115mm
Here are some close-ups of the strap

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Buckle: This is probably the only part of the watch that I dislike, it feels cheap and plastic, it doesn’t look like it should, but it does feel lightweight and very plastic. This will be the first part to be replaced on this watch.

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Overall my personal ratings of this watch are as follows:

Aesthetics: 5/5
Movement: 4/5 (quartz doesn't get a 5)
Quality: 4/5
Strap: 4.5/5
Value: 5/5


Summary: if you like myself are looking for a versatile dress watch that looks good with casual jeans, as well as a formal suit, something that is classic and maybe even a little different, then this is for you, regardless of your wrist size. It does take a few minutes to get used to the size after wearing a big watch but the look is timeless and classy. I would highly recommend replacing the buckle on this watch as I said it feels cheap but otherwise this is an amazing timepiece. I would vote for this watch to make it on the super-rep list in a heartbeat if it isn’t already and at the price you can’t go wrong. One thing that I have read online and been made aware of by other RWI members is that they do scratch fairly easily, this is also the case with the gen, if you do an online search it seems like gen owners are struggling with scratches calling it a “scratch magnet”. I hope this review helps you in making a decision to go Reverso or not.
 

miniatureone

Renowned Member
16/7/14
688
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0
Excellent and thorough review! Rep points much deserved.

I have been trying to get this watch on the WTB threads (due to CNY) and I might have a line on one *fingers crossed*. I love this watch both gen and rep. While the reverso line is often thought of as a "dressier" watch, its sporty history which you outlined is integral in the tribute design. No precious subdials or complications and no second dial on the back side.

Let me add one quick point: the "North American" edition is actually a limited US edition. To my knowledge there have only been 100 pieces created. Additionally, these were all made with a Casa Fagliano strap. What's interesting about this limited edition is that on the case itself there is no indication that it's a limited offering. The differences are obviously the syringe hands, but also a different font for "REVERSO" and a faux-vintage patina. Furthermore, the inside of the Casa Fagliano strap has embedded the phrase "REVERSO 1931 2011".

(Also, a personal thank you for measuring strap length.)
 

S.Corbeil

Active Member
27/9/15
295
6
18
Great review!

I've read somewhere (here or on RWG?) that the strap might be difficult to replace, because there is some sort of plastic part? Hence, if someone want to buy the one with the cheaper strap and have a custom strap made, it might proves to be a difficult task. Thus, one should buy the 90$+ version with gator strap. What's your take on this?

Thank you!
 

Jeane123

Put Some Respect On My Name
6/4/15
4,069
16
0
I will try to take my strap off and put it back on. Maybe I can shed some light on the replacement of the croc one :)
 

Raddave

Most Delicious of all Nipples!
Staff member
Global Moderator
Administrator
Certified
24/12/11
66,114
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Neat write up Jeanne !

Do you ever wear it in the flipped position ?
 

cybee

Legendary Member
Supporter
23/11/06
11,134
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Very nice write-up and definitely one of the coolest watches ever made.
 

psychom3

Renowned Member
3/3/09
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Great review!

I've read somewhere (here or on RWG?) that the strap might be difficult to replace, because there is some sort of plastic part? Hence, if someone want to buy the one with the cheaper strap and have a custom strap made, it might proves to be a difficult task. Thus, one should buy the 90$+ version with gator strap. What's your take on this?

Thank you!

The wider and flatter your wrist is the lower chance the lugs will stick out past the strap since on smaller wrists the strap goes straight down.
 

Nikoteen

I'm Pretty Popular
12/5/12
2,601
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I very nearly bought this before Xmas...but i ended up buying the Zenith Pilot instead....I will be purchasing one after CNY tho' for sure. Thanks for the great info....rep points added too!
 

pamegalex

Renowned Member
20/8/14
716
6
18
[MENTION=100114]Jeane123[/MENTION] awesome review mate! My Reverso arrived today but am waiting for the case strap to arrive before putting it on. Thanks again for convincing me earlier. Definitely one of my better buys!

And you're right about the buckle it's flimsy as hell! Trying to source a good one but they're over $300 for the used gen! Guess I'll just have to make do with my rep one until a good deal shows up or just go a generic one for it.

For those of you considering getting this I highly suggest you either go for the $90 extra and get the croc strap as the rep one is just pure rubbish. Either that or order yourself a custom made one. A watch like this definitely deserves the best strap there is!


Sent from my iPhone using my fat fingers
 

miniatureone

Renowned Member
16/7/14
688
6
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@Jeane123 awesome review mate! My Reverso arrived today but am waiting for the case strap to arrive before putting it on. Thanks again for convincing me earlier. Definitely one of my better buys!

And you're right about the buckle it's flimsy as hell! Trying to source a good one but they're over $300 for the used gen! Guess I'll just have to make do with my rep one until a good deal shows up or just go a generic one for it.

For those of you considering getting this I highly suggest you either go for the $90 extra and get the croc strap as the rep one is just pure rubbish. Either that or order yourself a custom made one. A watch like this definitely deserves the best strap there is!


Sent from my iPhone using my fat fingers

I also just got one. Can you point to me (or PM) what strap you're ordering for it? Thank would be amazing, thank you.
 

pamegalex

Renowned Member
20/8/14
716
6
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I also just got one. Can you point to me (or PM) what strap you're ordering for it? Thank would be amazing, thank you.

Hey mate, got my "casa" style strap from aprell. He's on rwi so you can pm him or visit his site: aprellworkshop.blogspot.com


Sent from my iPhone using my fat fingers
 

miniatureone

Renowned Member
16/7/14
688
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Hey mate, got my "casa" style strap from aprell. He's on rwi so you can pm him or visit his site: aprellworkshop.blogspot.com


Sent from my iPhone using my fat fingers

Info's greatly appreciated! Also can't wait to see photos of your strap.
 

pamegalex

Renowned Member
20/8/14
716
6
18
No worries mate. A fellow member recommended him to me so happy to pass the info.


Sent from my iPhone using my fat fingers