So here it is in all it's glory. It arrived at the Bond St boutique on Tuesday & I collected it on Thursday.

But first things first:



...and onto the official blurb: http://collection.jaeger-lecoultre.com/GB/en/watches/grande-reverso-ultra-thin-duoface-bleu/378858J

JLC are definitely restricting the flow of these. This was the first one to arrive at the London boutique and they will getting their 2nd in December. It's a boutique only edition & they seem to be released one at a time. A nice way to stimulate interest that will outstrip supply.

It comes in a bigger box than the normal JLC box, with two straps. Here it is next to the Moon 39 box.



Onto the two straps. Firstly, a standard JLC Alligator strap which was already fitted & secondly the Casa Fagliano calfskin. Fagliano are in fact polo boot/accessory makers & don't even advertise watch straps on their website. (More information is here: http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2012/4...er-lecoultre-reverso-limited-edition-wit.html
and here:
http://www.atimelyperspective.com/b...agliano-for-second-special-reverso-strap.html)

The alligator is a lovely formal strap & is the same as came with the MUT Moon 39. For a bit of variation I thought I would wear the Reverso with the Fagliano, even though I wasn't sure if it would look formal enough with my work suit. But it complements the blue face perfectly and the calfskin is simultaneously very comfortable and tough - it's an excellent strap which suits the style of the watch brilliantly. Apparently, spare or replacement straps can only be ordered if you provide the serial no of your watch, so JLC can verify it is for a watch that it was originally issued with. They didn't tell me why, but I imagine it is to do with the fact that Casa Fagliano only produce a small number of straps each year.




And it comes with a good solid buckle too...



But of course this watch is all about the limited production blue dial. To my eyes it is truly classic and a tasteful and well executed modern homage to the original Reverso dials. I have seen some internet comments criticising the fact that dial isn't flashier or doesn't "pop". As far as I'm concerned that misses the point of this dial - it is a deliberately understated design, directly derived from the original, and as such it needs to echo the more straightforward hues of the 30's. To put a shimmering modern blue dial on this piece would make it less of a tasteful tribute and more towards being a modern blingy "look at me" watch. I really don't think that was what JLC were going for here.

The nod to this being a modern update lies in the dial having the depth to present itself in different shades of blue according to the light - which is something the originals were not capable of. To me, that makes the dial a tasteful and classy update & moves it away from being a potentially less interesting slavish reproduction.

Anyway, as ever, it's the pictures which will say more than I can:











The minute track also deserves a special mention. It is subtle in the flesh, but aligns perfectly with the spine of the hands to clearly indicate which minute it is. The lack of a second hand really isn't an issue here. Originally, I wasn't keen on the idea of there being no third hand. But the clean layout and legibility of the dial got me past that pretty quickly - much to my surprise.

That sort of brings us to the movement, a cal 854/1. JLC have used the cal 854 in their Duoface watches for some time. Cal 854 was introduced in 1994, runs at 21,600v/h, has 180 parts and 21 jewels and is 3.8mm high. The Duoface watches have been thinned down for the Ultra Thin range by JLC being able to take a few fractions of a mm off of the movement casing and by also reducing the thickness of the traditional Reverso casing surround (i.e. the backing plate and housing that the watch itself is located in). Normally the cal 854 and 854/1 have a seconds hand in a sub dial just above the 6 o'clock position. This is a wholly manual movement, with a 45 hour reserve. The winding action is very smooth & easy. I'm not sure what the /1 designation represents, so if anyone knows please chip in.

Cal 854/1 (picture from jaeger-lecoultre.com)


The cal 854 shows the time on both sides of the movement, with the hour hand on the reverse side being independently moveable by an adjuster that sits just above the crown - thereby allowing it to track either the same time as the front or a second time zone. For this range JLC have moved away from this being a recessed button, in favour of an easier to operate push button. I found that it is very easy to adjust the time, in fact so easy I inadvertently was pressing it every time I "reverso'd" it. So now, I ensure my fingers only press on the lower half of the case when flipping over to the second face.



A couple of other details on the movement are that the minute hands on both sides always stay synchronised and are adjusted by the crown in a normal way, so using the reverse face to keep the time in places like India or Iran where some time differences are not measured in whole hours is a bit of a problem. I'm not planning on going to Iran soon & can't see this being any sort of practical issue. Also, the second face has a 24 hour indicator (again no seconds hand) as shown in the pics below. The 24 hour indicators on the different Duoface models tend to be differently configured. This one has the 12 at the top of the dial and 24 at the bottom. I found this to be a bit counter-intuitive and not as clear as the standard Reverso Duo which has the 12 and 24 at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions respectively - but I have gotten used it very quickly, so I can't say it is any sort of issue.



This reverse dial is an altogether more modern dial than the front & gives a nice contrasting alternative. It has cloud de paris guilloche around the dials. The dials are recessed and have a satin looking finish. The combination manipulates the light to emphasise the dials and the white side seems to wear bigger than the front dial as a result. I also think that the Alligator strap suits the white face better, so you pay your money and take your choice as to whether you want to spend most of your time with the more modern formality of the white face/alligator strap, or the classic elegance of the blue face/Fagliano strap.










While this isn't a watch that goes with all styles of dress (I will still be wearing Speedmasters and my SMP GMT with casual attire) it is perfect with a suit. This piece seems too subtle to really go with the t-shirt look. But put it together with a business or casual suit & it is perfectly in its element - I am finding it to be an indescribably subtle and beautiful accompaniment to my dark business suits.

 

Very nice. Suppose you'll be needing a home for your old one now .

 

You really need to see it in the flesh. I haven't seen any pictures that do the blue justice, even JLC's publicity shots. The contrast between the blue and the hands & markers is really something

...er... No ! Nice try though

The standard Reverso Duo has day/night colouring across the sub-dial - like the Rolex Coke/Pepsi bezels - and that makes it clearer. Having said that I think JLC were going for a very clean look with both dials. If they did put more hour markers on the sub-dial, or included day/night shading, I'm not sure it would work as part of the overall package. It's pretty easy to adapt to though, after a day living with it I'm used to it.

 

You mention the elegance of the piece in your review - no quibble there, but it brings about something very special about the Reverso. It is perhaps the only sport watch (and it is a sport watch, make no mistake) that I find can truly range from rugged to elegant - and I mean the latter to the extent that it actually upgrades the look when you wear it with a suit. Wear it with the Fagliano (amazing straps, aren't they?), and it is a toolwatch, ready for the tackroom, and a little mudsplatter and rain. Put the alligator on it, and you are the most elegant guy in the board room. It even works with evening dress. The Speedmasters and steel El Primeros can't do that. The Master Moon and Constellations can't do it the other way.

Very nice buy - congratulations!

 

Thanks Lou.

In fact I've just discovered that the white face on the Fagliano works very well with white t-shirt & jeans. There's plenty more versatility to get out of this one