JLC Reverso Case Finishing

Evitzee

If it is ever sent in to JLC for an overhaul they should not be putting a brushed finish on it, they should leave it as it came from the factory.

jsducote

I would think that, as with our Speedmasters, if it is ever sent to CH for an overhaul it should be sent with instructions not to polish anything.

Archer

So, I took these during a visit to the factory - this is where the cases are polished at JLC:









Here you can see the backs of the Reverso case frames in the tray - all polished:



Now what I can't say for certain is if these were brushed after this step...but my impression at the time was that this was the final finishing step.

Cheers, Al

Evitzee

Polishing is an art onto its own, and if not done right it can ruin a piece. I bought my rose gold Grand Taille Reverso when they first came out in 1992 from Cellini in NYC. In 1999 while I was living in Melbourne I asked the AD there, The Hour Glass, to arrange for the back to be personalized. We decided on an Art Deco design JLC offered which was an engraved back which was then enamel filled. I think they still offer this design. The watch was sent off to Switzerland and in a couple of months came back with the work done (cost USD 346), it all looked good. But in the following days there was something not quite right about the back under certain lighting condition. Under a loupe it was obvious what had happened, the buffing wheel had intruded over a portion of the three raised ribs on each end of the case and slightly rounded off the sharp edges and marred the sand blasted finish at the bottom of the channels. It was probably just a split second of inattention by the case refinisher after the engraving that caused the damage. Took it back to The Hour Glass and they agreed that it wasn't right and the watch was sent back to JLC. A couple of months pass and the watch comes back with a new gold back and reengraved initials. An expensive cost for JLC as the original back had been ruined. I'm sure they recovered the gold from the back but it was still an expensive exercise. That's why having a case refinished is always fraught with danger if the work is not done by an expert. And even an expert can make a mistake.

I don't have a pic of the first effort, but this is how it was redone. Pic taken 20 years after the engraving.

padders

My 270.3.54 Reverso Duo was refinished at the Richemont Service Centre in London by the dedicated JLC polisher. In the pics below, the brown ostrich strap is before the work. The rear of mine had brushing both before and after and came back to me literally mint. As noted already, clearly some cases come polished and some come brushed, I'll be honest and say I think I prefer the brushed approach. Mine is also mid 1990s and is probably the most luxurious watch I have ever owned. It oozes quality and style. Unlike me.