- 9/8/20
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Hey all,
After spending the last week with my new JLC Duoface from u/Hontwatch, I'm finally ready to post a review. As always, big thanks to Hont for the quick QC, shipping, and responses.
Up for review today, this is the stainless steel duoface that u/pmtu attributed to ZF, but is actually from a small unnamed factory. To start with, I'll include some specs.
Duoface Rep
47.5 lug to lug
30mm across case (without crown)
12mm thick
22mm lug width
Duoface Gen
42mm Lug to Lug
26mm across(without crown)
9.9mm thick
19mm lug width
Gen Pics: https://imgur.com/a/pXHMHiq
Differences From Gen
Looking at the dimensions, it's obvious the rep is a significantly larger watch compared to the gen reference 272.8.54. This is not entirely negative, however, as the larger diameter allows it to wear the additional 2mm of thickness better than it otherwise would. Besides the dimensions, the other obvious tell is the lack of a pusher above the crown which advances the hour hand on the "night" face on the gen. On the rep, the first crown position sets the time for the "night" dial and the second crown position sets the time from the "day" dial.
Positives
As there are dozens of Reverso references available and it's relatively rare to see one in the wild, I am less concerned with a 100% faithful recreation of the gen. My primary concern is whether this rep looks and feels like a luxury timepiece. On wrist, the duoface is manageable on my 6.7" wrist. My preference would be something closer to gen dimensions, but the rep is not unwieldy. The wave guilloche pattern on the center dial and concentric guilloche pattern on the sub seconds dial are both nicely executed. Dial printing throughout both faces is faithful and gen like. On the "night" face a subtle sunburst pattern is present on the circular dials and surrounded by a hobnail pattern. All in all, both dials look like they belong to a watch costing thousands of dollars.
On Wrist: https://imgur.com/a/pW8gWqE (21mm Veblenist Bureau Blue Pebbled Strap with JLC Buckle)
Negatives
Like gen, the duoface movement is handwound with a somewhat diminutive crown. Both gen and rep are difficult to wind and I would definitely recommend a stem winding tool for those considering this piece. The movement beats at 21600bph, does not hack, and feels a bit gritty when winding. It can be difficult to appreciate when it is fully wound and I'd recommend winding it slowly to not accidentally overwind. Hont suggested the movement is a2824 based, but I doubt that is the case and would be interested in having a watchmaker inspect the movement. Another minor issue is the plasticky strap (I always assume the rep strap will be bad) and awful deployant. Can't say I've ever seen a deployant with the printing upside down prior to this one. Unfortunately, the biggest issue I have with the watch is the visible aperture below the small seconds pinion. When glancing down at certain angles and from wrist height the aperture appears as a blur below the small seconds hands. The rotation of the small seconds hand also changes the visibility of the aperture as it moves around the subdial. My initial hope was that some sort of custom plastic piece could be printed and fitted over the pinion to cover the aperture. I am still undecided if this is a dealbreaker for me.
TL;DR
Incredible fully functioning duoface rep with faithfully reproduced dial details possibly overshadowed by the visible aperture below the small seconds subdial.
Feel free to ask any questions
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