Journey of Reverso: Part 4.1 (Reverso Duo Pre-Harmonized MKI/Day & Night)

We finally come back to one of my favorites, the Reverso. The reverso duo is one of the most practical incarnations of the Reverso, especially for travelers. This part is about the original Reverso Duo released in 1994 which was subsequently replaced 10 years later in 2004 with the "harmonized" version (more on the differences later).

A few wristshots on my 6.5" wrist

This particular model is modestly sized at 26mm x 42mm x 10mm which is more or less the same size as the Reverso GT. This iteration features a diamond patterned guilloche on the white "day" dial and a radiating wave guilloche pattern on the black "night" dial. The hands on the day side are blued while the hand on the back are lumed with tritium. Overall, the dials are very pleasing to the eye and my favorite part is the rectangular seconds hand frame contrasted with the round 24 hour indicator on the back.

Photo courtesy of JLC

The specs for this piece are:
Ref. 270.8.54
26 x 42 x 10 mm
JLC Caliber 854/1
Dual time zones, back hour hand adjusted in one hour increments via pusher
3.8mm high
KIF shock protection
Flat hairspring
180 parts
21,600 vph
45 hr power reserve
Not water resistant (pre-harmonized version)
Price: around 6500 USD at release on leather band
Note: This piece also came in a white gold version with a slightly different movement that had a day/night indicator on the black side.

A point of minor complaint

The size was pretty good for me, although perhaps a tad too long, making it seesaw a bit on my bony wrist. The bracelet was comfortable and extremely well finished but has no fine adjustment on the plain butterfly clasp. The bracelet is held together by spring bars which makes adding links quite easy. I have to say that the lume is completely useless but it's not really expected that anyone use it anyways. The pushpiece to advance the "night" hour hand works pretty well and can be operated via toothpick or the dedicated pushing tool provided. While I like to have a date mechanism, that would somewhat ruin the beauty of the piece. I just have to say, this is a superb piece, the size is perfect and the functions are useful.

For more technical information, the old Purists site has a great page on this piece:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/234648/thread/1055687624/Reverso+Duo+Technical+Drawing+Pls

Journey of Reverso: Part 2 (Reverso GT Grande Taille)

Before I start this review, I think it's best to review some comparison shots from the last reverso I reviewed.

 Size comparison between the GT and the Squadra

After deciding that the squadra was perhaps not the best fit for my 6.5 inch wrist, I moved onto a Reverso GT with a ostrich strap. I had always liked the idea of a classic and constrained Reverso with slightly modern proportions.

The current JLC Reverso GT

The first JLC Reverso (1931)

The older "pre harmonized" GT

Basic specs:
42.2 x 26 mm x 9.5 mm
Water resistant to 3 atm
Time only
Caliber 822, manually wound, 134 parts, 21,600 VPH, 45 hr power reserve, 21 jewels, KIF shock protection (2), flat hairspring. Introduced in 1992, 22.6 mm x 17.2 mm x 2.3 mm.
Current materials: 18K pink gold, stainless steel (both on strap or respective bracelet)
MSRP (USD): 7,150 (Steel on Alligator), 8,100 (Steel on steel), 15,900 (pink gold on alligator), 30,300 (pink gold on pink gold) (Current as of Aug 31)

The version I purchased at the time was not the current version, although it uses the same movement and has the same case dimensions, there are two key differences: The dial does not have the wave guilloche, and it is not water resistant.

I think as a dress watch, this is the pinnacle. I used to consider the Reverso Tribute to 1931 the best but after trying it on and loving the watch as just a watch, I decided it was too large to serve it's correct purpose at 46 mm x 27 mm. Both watches use the same movement and are somewhat similarly thin (2.5 mm difference). There's not much to talk about regarding the movement, it's modestly finished, reliable, and has been in production for 20 years and used in a variety of watches from JLC reversos and also some Dunhill watches.

In some ways, perhaps more ways than one, this is a particularly boring watch. It's definitely a staple watch and a classic dress watch which is exactly what makes it quite boring. The dial of this vintage version is plain silver with printed numerals, the back is plain steel, and the clasp was a single deloyant clasp which made the standard length strap terrible for small wrists. The current version has a wavy guilloche dial, and a double deployant but despite the new deployant, the standard strap is still too long for a balanced fit (this is one of the reasons I prefer tang buckles).

Overall, it's a boringly well proportioned watch (as dress watches should be) housing a modest movement, but despite these characteristics, I have no qualms recommending this to anyone with nearly any wrist size. Strap problems can be overcome and nothing can beat the reverso for aesthetically perfect proportions (1:1.618).