I keep looking at this: https://www.chrono24.co.uk/jaegerle...k-yellow-gold-serviced-082021--id20735145.htm

It looks superb, but with the potential to be a little chunky. Is anyone here able to comment please?

 

looks like a nice looking watch with a fresh service. the case has some soft edges, but i guess this is more common on solid gold watches.
honestly i prefer the Stainless Steel version (and can be had for almost 1/2 that price), also some other members here own one.
i dont think this one wears chunky at all, i would compare it size wise to the mid-size reverso. but the best thing would be to try one on. they do tend to wear slightly different then the normal round-case watches. if you have flat wrists than you should do fine.
here is mine for reference (my wrist is ~7 inch and flat) :

 

That is a beautiful watch.

 

Nice piece. I have a SS GR Duo. I love it. I do have a big wrist though.

 

It's been overpolished, imo. The ribs should be sharp and the channels sand blasted, the polishing on this watch has rounded them off and the polishing wheel has gotten to the bottom of the channels. The entire watch looks too soft. It's not terrible but it would be a pass for me.

I don't think Reverso's wear chunky, but I have the Grand Taille case which I think is called mid-size now. The bigger cases were too big for me.

 

Can you show me where you mean? I suppose it does look a little smoother than the steel, but is that the light or over polishing?

 

Here is what a 29 year old unpolished gold Reverso looks like, note the sharp edges on the ribs and the sandblasted channels. Obviously if it is polished you will get some rounding, especially on a gold case, but in my view a good polisher would not get into the ribs to round them off. From the pics on the watch in question it looks like it is a bit overpolished, but until you view it in person you'll never know for sure. Perhaps the lighting and the pics are just washing out the appearance. As long as you have an ability to return it there isn't too much downside.

When JLC in Switzerland did my engraving on the back over 20 years ago they screwed it up, after they put the enamel filled initials on they took to the polishing wheel and got into the ribs. The AD I was working with in Melbourne agreed it was not right and we had to send it back and JLC had to redo them on a brand new rose gold back, so the factory is not immune to getting carried away with the polishing.

And just as a personal opinion the watch you are looking at is in yellow gold, there's nothing wrong with yellow gold but I think the Reverso looks best in rose gold to match the art deco design.

 

Thanks.

Out of interest, why do you say the rose gold suits Art Deco better?

 

Rose gold was used in the Art Deco era, it was after WWII when yellow gold came into fashion as people wanted a newer, fresher appearance. For years rose gold was looked at as fusty and old fashioned, then it became popular again over the last couple of decades. Nothing wrong with either, but on a watch so iconic as the Reverso I think they look best in rose or white metal. But it's all personal opinion.

 

Interesting.

The issue I have with rose gold is that it highlights any red in my skin. Yellow tends not to.

Also rose gold is EVERYWHERE at the moment and I am a contrarian.

 

This one looks sharper and it's near me.https://www.blowers-jewellers.co.uk/product/jaeger-le-coultre-reverso-duoface-18ct-yellow-gold/

Not crazy about the bracelet however and I would apparently be paying a fair bit for it.

 

Thirty years ago it was YELLOW gold that was everywhere, rose not in fashion at all, then it was white gold/platinum for awhile driven by the Japanese, then it became rose gold, and now there is a starting rotation back to yellow gold. Everything goes in cycles.

That gold bracelet on the Reverso is a super piece of work but you will be paying for it, but it should be relatively easy to flip if you decide to go with a strap. Recommend the JLC deployant over the tang buckle if you go that route. Mine came on a tang buckle but I eventually found a JLC deployant buckle in Singapore for a good price ($660) and it makes it a lot nicer to wear.

 

Does that one at Blowers look a bit punchy pricewise for a watch of the age? I know it has a bracelet, but £12500?

 

It's £3800 more expensive than the other one you were looking at, so that's the price of the bracelet. Could you get that price if you flipped it? Might be hard, but if someone were looking for one it would not be a bad price for them.

 

Search for Reverso on here. There is a loyal and enthusiastic following with some lovely watches. Here is mine.

 

They suit steel. But I don't need a steel watch.

 

@Vizard … I think the subject watch is lovely. Has box and papers too. As I have posted before, these cases are scratch magnets. This may have seen a light polish. A while back I went over mine carefully with a cape cod cloth.

 

Mine isn’t steel. I do agree though a YG one is a killer look.

 

JLC bracelets are really nice, i had also the same SS braclet ob my Master Control Date. However there is no microadjustment and i could never find a perfect fit, so ended up wearing my watches on a leather strap. Actually i prefer most watches on leather strap anyways.
In case of Reverso i much prefer the leather strap look.

 

I bet the JLC deployant straps with gold fittings are a pretty penny.