Jaeger-LeCoultre

amanico
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JLC SIHH 2011: The Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931.

You well know the history of the Reverso, so I will make it short.

The history of the Reverso can be summed in 2 dates, and 3 men.

- 1931: Cesar De Trey had the idea of a Reversible case for a watch. Alfred Chauvot concretized this idea through
a patent he filed on the 4th of March 1931.

An icon was born:





The same year, Cesar De Trey and Jacques David Lecoultre founded the " Spécialités Horlogères " Company, which
can be seen as the cradle of the new born Reverso.

Mr Jacques David Lecoultre:



In the very first years of its life, it is important to know that the Reverso had different names on its dial:

Reverso, Jaeger, or LeCoultre:

Here, the " Reverso " from 1931:



- We had to wait till 1937, and the birth, or more precisly the renamed Jaeger LeCoultre Company, to see the first Reverso bearing the " Jaeger-LeCoultre " name on the dial.

The Tribute History is more recent, indeed, as it started in November 2006, at the Paris Boutique, where the decision was taken to re edit the Polaris, which was introduced to the Public at the SIHH 2008.

The way was opened for the Re Edition Saga... The Polaris, and this year, the Reverso and the Deep Sea Alarm.

After the Tribute To Polaris in 2008, JLC decided to revisit, this year, the original Reverso.

The Tribute to Polaris:



The Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931, available in Rose Gold or Stainless Steel.





To be compared to the original:



Tribute... What does it mean, in this case?

The Tribute to Polaris " stuck " to the original model, with a case / case back which borrowed the same dimensions, finish and shape, as well as the dial, plexy and crowns.

To sum it in a few words, the Tribute to Polaris was faithful, in aesthetics and spirit, to the original.

We can say exactly the same thing about the Tribute To Deep Sea Alarm, which has just been unveiled.

With the Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931, things are slightly different, for a major reason: The size.

1/ The Case:

The original Reverso case is 38 mm long, 24 mm large and ( approximatively ) 6 mm high.

The Tribute to 1931 dimensions are 46 mm long, 27, 5 mm large, and 7, 2 mm high, which makes us think about a Reverso XGT, 0, 5 mm less long, 1, 75 mm less large, and 5 mm thinner!

It is even thinner than a Reverso GT case, which is 9 mm thick! ( 42, 25 x 26 mm )

This difference in size raises 2 questions, which are intimately related:

- Why?

- Is this the best case for a Tribute To Reverso?

Why?

- I would dare a guess: History.

Do you remember that in 1991, the Reverso 60eme inaugurated a new case, the GT ( Grande Taille ) case?

The Reverso 60eme:



In 2001, JLC introduced the Septantième, and here again, we saw a new case coming, the XGT ( for tres grande taille ).

The Septantième:





In 2011, it seems that the Tradition has been perpetuated, with the Tribute to 1931.

New Anniversary watch, new case, that is a seducing idea.

- An aesthetical choice:

The size, the volumes do all the difference on the Tribute To 1931.

This is very subjective, but I dare an explanation...

In my opinion, the GT case was one of the most elegant size for the Reverso, till now.

It was a tad small, but its class does it all.

The XGT case was an interesting and seducing offer, but its thickness didn't serve the watch.

The Grande Reverso was / is still very appealing, in terms of dimensions ( 48,5 x 30 x 9, 7 mm ), but we're speaking about a Tribute, here, and it may appear a bit too big to fullfil this purpose.

Here, we have a bit smaller, less large, more rectangular and much thinner XGT case.

Some pictures to illustrate the difference between the TT 1931 case and an XGT case:







These pictures helped me to better understand the difference between an Anniversary watch, which pay homage to a model, and a Tribute, which has to be closer in the spirit and the overall look of the considered time keeper.

Can we say that the TT 1931 is the epitome of Elegance?

Personally, I say YES!

We have to keep in mind that the height of the watch has bee, measured INCLUDING the carriage, so 7, 25 mm seems to be a remarkable figure.

Do you want to see what it looks like, compared to an original Reverso, from 1937?



Now, can we call it " Ultra Thin " ?

I don't know, as the Ultra Thin watches I know are more around 5 mm high, or a bit less, but in this case, we have to not forget that the carriage is included, as said above...

2/ The dials:

I prudently said that I had to see the TT 1931 in the flesh, because the only part of the watch I had to check " in the real " was the dial.

To me, the dial is like our eyes, the soul of a watch.

Do it in a too cold way, and the watch looses a lot of its charm.

Do it in a too exuberant way, and it is a total flop on a dressy watch.

There is a very tough compromise to find when it comes to dials, and this is a point you can only check in the real.

Now that I've seen them, I can honestly tell you that my doubts disappeared.

Better, I don't know which one to choose between the 2 versions.

Yes, you heard me well, you know that I'm not a colored gold guy, but in this case, I really don't know!

Opaline or black, both are gorgeous.



They offer us a journey in the Art Déco era, 80 years ago, without loosing anything of their modernity, with great elegance and purity.

The fact that the dial doesn't bear the usual signature of the brand, but only " Reverso " is to me a very good point, too.

It is a Tribute to Reverso, first, and we could even think that such a watch is so recognizable that it doesn't need any other writing which could kill its beauty.

One thing has to be said, which may help those who are considering getting a TT 1931 without knowing which one to choose.

On the Rose Gold version the indexes are not luminous, nor the hands, by the way.

In both versions, you'll have a plexy glass, which adds to the charm of this Reverso.

So, which one will be YOURS?

3/ The movement ( Cal 822 ) is really thin ( 2, 94 mm ) .

It is a 21 jewels and 134 parts manual wound movement, beating at 21 600 vibrations per hour, offering a power reserve of 45 hours.

This is not a new movement, as it was first introduced in 1992, in a Reverso GT case ( and created for it ), one year after the Reverso 60eme.

Not exceptionally finished, but very pleasantly looking, as you can see:







Compared to the size of the case, the Cal 822 is small ( 22 x 7,2 mm ), which may also explain that JLC opted for the solid case back, instead of a sapphire version.

4/ The pictures you are all waiting for.

- The Stainless Steel:









- The Rose Gold:







One advice: Pay a visit to your JLC Boutique or AD, and try it.

If you're looking for a superb and original dressy watch, this may well be the one to consider.

On the wrist, the presence is awesome, the comfort is impressive, and the feeling is unforgettable.

Even your banker will congratulate you as the non limited edition in stainless steel is priced at 5500 Euros, while the RG limited to 500 pieces costs 11 500 Euros.

I will conclude this quick view on the TT 1931 as I wanted to start it...

Your heart suddenly beats faster, and you wonder if it is too nice to be true.

The answer is definitely NO.

The fears, as each time you touch to a myth, disappear, letting place to happyness.

I made the test with some good old friends at the SIHH.

These friends come from very different horological worlds or horizons, such as Patek, Panerai, IWC, etc...

They all shared the same enthusiasm for this new opus.

Better, most of them will get it!

The TT 1931, to my eyes, is more than a delicious blend of Tradition and Modernity, it is " just " a timeless watch.

Looking forward to hearing your comments and thoughts,

All the best.

Nicolas.

This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-02-07 00:02:29 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-02-10 03:30:10 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-02-11 09:45:19

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