2011 is the anniversary of the Reverso so naturally there were several new Reverso models. But they were not the only novelties; JLC had one of the larger collections at the fair.
The headline Reverso for 2011 is the minuter repeater at the high-end but I could not get photos of this outside of the display case.
At the affordable end the Grande Reverso Ultra-Thin Tribute to 1931 has garnered a lot of praise. It is an authentic looking remake of the 1931 Reverso, complete with faux antique Luminova.
The 1931 is 46 by 27.5 mm but only 7.2 mm high, making for an elegant silhouette. This will be available in steel with black dial and a limited edition in pink gold. The steel 1931 Reverso was one of crowd favourites of the fair.
Despite this being much larger than the original, JLC has done a bang up job of recreating the look and feel of the original Reverso. That being said, the remake is fitted with leather straps containing shaped inserts at the lugs which make them sit awkwardly on some wrists. A regular soft strap would work better.
Also available is a Reverso Ultra-Thin in the more familiar silver guilloche dial with blue hands. This shares the same dimensions as the 1931 edition though I find it somehow less elegant. In this guise it looks too big whereas the 1931 looks the right size.
Ladies get the Grande Reverso Lady Ultra-Thin which at 12 mm high is not as slim as the men’s version but thin nevertheless. Several variants are available in gold or steel, with or without diamonds.
New in the Grande Reverso size is the Duo, the clever dual time zone Reverso which displays separate times on each face. This is the most obvious and practical use of the Reverso concept; silver dial on one side and black dial on the other.
And the popular Reverso Duetto has received a facelift. With diamonds on one face and plain on the other, it offers two totally different looks. This is available only in pink gold.
Slightly larger is the Duetto Duo, which can display two separate time zones on each face. Pink gold is also the only option for this one.
Now on to the round watches. We begin with a new ladies’ watch with night and day indicator.
Last year’s Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire is now available in white gold with a striking charcoal dial in a limited edition of 200 pieces, just like the Duomètre a Chronographe.
The Master Grande Tradition collection of high-end complications sees the addition of the Master Grande Tradition à Tourbillon with a 43 mm case.
Another addition to that range is a skeleton repeater in titanium. The gold arrowhead indices and dauphine hands give this watch a very sharp look despite the roundness of the case. Like all JLC repeaters this boasts a very high decibel count though the chime could be a bit more pleasant.
Several new additions to the Master Control range, a few of which are inspired by the original watches from the nineties like the new Master Grande Taille.
The Master chronograph launched last year is now available with a black dial in steel.
Making a return is the Master Geographique, which at one time a quintessential JLC small complication in my opinion. This is presented in a 39 mm case in steel or gold.
An elegant new model is the Master Ultra Thin Moon which displays the moon phase and date at six o’clock. This one is also 39 mm wide in steel or gold.
And a new Master tourbillon.
Also new for 2011 are several enamelled Master watches. A sample of one is depicted below. Notice the artful decoration on the case.
JLC also unveiled several new sports watches. The first is a Master Compressor chronograph with a ceramic case that seems slimmer than the original but I don’t have specs to compare.
Next is a new Master Compressor Navy Seals chronograph in a black and yellow bumblebee get-up.
And of course another retro inspired highlight of the year is the pair of Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea watches. These commemorate the Memovox Deep Sea of 1959 which was the first diving wristwatch with alarm. This comes after the solid success of the Polaris re-issue of 2008.
Two versions of the Deep Sea are available, the US edition signed “LeCoultre” of 359 pieces and the Europe edition with the full brand name of 959 pieces. Both are 40.5 mm in diameter, a tad larger than the originals. Initially I found the italic text on the US edition off-kilter but it is weirdly attractive; it has a quaint vintage charm. My pick is the US edition.
Both are convincingly vintage looking right down to the colour of the Luminova and the texture of the dial. JLC has also smartly paired them with appropriate Tropic-style straps which I wonder who manufactures now.
- SJX
This message has been edited by SJX on 2011-01-30 08:02:27 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-01-30 16:18:34