JLC Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Ref. 3978480 Review

This Reverso Ref. 3978480 was introduced at 2018 SIHH, and I just got mine this morning.  In brief, I’m really pleased with the watch.  It is elegant and stunningly beautiful.

The monoface dial :  Gorgeous sun ray dark blue dial — the reason I bought it.  The big question is, is it blue or purple or changeable?  Photos indicated that the dial is a color changer. To my eyes, indoors in natural light, it’s definitely a dark blue, with occasional purple casts.  Only in full sunlight do I sometimes see the pronounced, deep purple shade that is shown in many photographs.  If my memory serves, this blue dial color is darker than the “aluminum Pepsi can” blue of the recent Master Controls.  The sun ray effect is more subtle and muted than in most other watches.  

The polished hands and markers are serious light reflectors, and the watch is surprisingly eye-catching and lively since it’s constantly throwing off glints of light.  It is highly legible. No lume, though.

The strap :  Supple blue calfskin with matching stitching, in the Casa Fagliano “flap at lugs” style.  It’s quite handsome.  The blue color is a little lighter than the typical JLC navy blue alligator strap.  Since the strap is stamped “Fagliano Collection” but also “Made in France,” I assume that it was designed by Casa Fagliano but not manufactured by that Argentine firm.  It looks great on the TT 1948, too!  Ref. QC05862Z, $310 USD.

The case :  Reversos are variously sized, and a good fit depends on getting the right size for your wrist.  On this blue Reverso, the case is slightly shorter yet slightly thicker than the original Tribute to 1931; and a bit longer but less thick than the Tribute Duo (the model with the white recto and blue guilloché verso dials).  See the chart below for comparisons with some other Reverso models.  




































Finally, here is the size chart: