Wristcheck: Eric Wind On The Iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Randy Lai recently wrote for Wristcheck about the iconic timepiece by JLC within the article ‘Understanding The Hidden Appeal Of The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso’. Within the article, Lai quotes Wind on the collectability of the Reverso, as well as cites a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre 1933 Military Reverso Reference 201.

“In light of everything that has been said about the Reverso – its deep variety, original design, and historic affiliation with multiple brands – you’d be forgiven for wondering why it isn’t more popular amongst the general watch-buying public. Notwithstanding its more modern incarnations (a flagship collection for JLC these past 20 years), there have been a number of historic hurdles associated with collecting this style. Eric Wind, the eminent watch advisor and founder of Wind Vintage, gives a concise summary: “First, [Reversos] are quite small watches and too small for many people’s tastes. Second, there are not many examples up for sale at any given time, as relatively few were made. Thirdly, of the few examples that come to market, many, if not most, have reprinted/damaged dials and overpolished cases, and thus, aren’t that interesting to collectors.”

Lai and Wind would additionally cite historic examples, such as General Douglas MacArthur’s Reverso which sold at Antiquorum in 2015.

“With time and further scholarship, great vintage Reversos will be recognized as important pieces in world-class watch collections”. This isn’t to say that it does not already have its fair share of halo examples: in a much-publicized auction held by Antiquorum in 2015, the personal Reverso of General Douglas MacArthur hammered for $90,000. Beyond its significant provenance, Wind observes that this model possessed a number of highly desirable dial characteristics: chief among them, a retailer signature and the then-unusual inclusion of lumed Arabic numerals.

You can read the full article and watch the video below:

https://wristcheck.com/discover/understanding-hidden-appeal-jaeger-lecoultre-reverso