Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931: A Treat That Never Ends

Sometimes you just get bored with it; Brands that release a seemingly never-ending avalanche of variations of existing models, the difference between them often minor. The same could have been said of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s approach to the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 collection, yet here however, every new variation seems to actually make sense. Not in a way of extending the life-cycle of the model, which it doesn’t need yet, or boasting the sales, which it most likely does, but actually because it tremendously enriches the collection. Yes, Jaeger-LeCoultre only plays with the dial color, and sometimes the metal used for the case, but the result is sometimes of one of those jaw-droppers where, although you prefer one color over the other, you most of all cannot wait to see what color will be next!

JLC Reverso1After featuring the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 with a variety of dial colors, which included black and red, it is now the turn of chocolate! Chocolate dials have become something of a niche lately, with more and more brands adopting them. The results of this vary per watch, and that makes the approach that Jaeger-LeCoultre has selected all the more interesting. They went for a matte brown, changed the metal for the case from stainless steel to pink gold and fitted it with a more robust, and may I say even, sporty strap.

The result is the most stunning Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 to date! The matte chocolate dial gets a nice vintage touch from the Art-Deco styled, yellowish numeral and hour markers, and of course greatly compliments the pink gold case, with its warm glow. Pink gold can be a bit in your face when used on a more robust, larger watch, and that is why it works so well on the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931. With an overall height of 7.3mm it is slender, especially when you take into account that this includes the swivel mechanism of the case. 46.8 x 27.4 mm as measurements for the case gives a nice presence, but is not even as Grande on most wrists as you might expect.

JLC Reverso5Inside the watch is caliber 822/2 responsible for the timekeeping of this Reverso. About this movement there is not much to say. Jaeger-LeCoultre has already established itself as the Manufacture among Manufactures a long time ago and caliber 822/2 is exactly one of the reasons why. A form-shaped manual wind movement, with an elegant bridge-construction, top-notch finishing and just under 3mm in height, makes it a companion that is as beautiful as it is precise and reliable.

JLC Reverso3With the strap, Jaeger-LeCoultre is showing once again it’s polo-heritage, since it is made by none other than Casa Fagliano, Argentina’s premier manufacture for polo equipment, mainly leather boots and knee-pats. Although already a beautiful brown-red color, one can expect that its patina will only deepen over time.

JLC Reverso6With this version of the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre has added perhaps the most sporting looking version yet to its 1931 line-up. Ironic given the fact that this one features a pink gold case. However, the same can actually be said for the game of polo itself, where you take fine, rare, thoroughbred horses into the demanding arena that polo is.

Martin Green
Eclectic taste in Haute Horlogerie, passion for diamond set watches, loves the classics

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