Jaeger Lecoultre Reverso " Beauty of India " ( 1936 / 1937 ).
amanico
A couple of years ago, I showed you a Reverso featuring Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu divinity Vishnu, probably ordered in 50 pieces in 1932 by the Maharaja of Kapurthala.
Here is another " Indian Reverso " so called " Beauty of India ", which was bought by Jaeger LeCoultre in 2004 for the sum of... 77, 000 USD.
Was she a fiction, or a noble lady? The mystery is still alive, which is a good thing, in my opinion, as it enhances the legend of this watch.
Nonetheless, this " Beauty of India " and the " Rama " are two well known Reverso, since they are part of the Heritage Gallery, and we could see pictures of them in several publications, as well as catalogues.
If the backside is well known, the front side has not been taken in picture, as far as I know. And I wanted to share a detail with you.
This Reverso is signed by Jaeger Lecoultre, which conforms to the era, but also signed by Favre Leuba. And that is not so well known that the 2 brands had some relations, at that time.
This Reverso is a testimony of these relations, too, which is another historical detail.
A last detail, this Reverso " Beauty of India " is made of solid gold, unlike the " Rama " which has a two-tone case.
Looking forward to reading your reactions,
Best.
Nicolas
Comments:
GWIS February 1st, 2024-13:41
Thanks for your post Nico. Those are certainly intriguing watches, with wonderful artistry and history, but the particular subject matters are not to my taste. As a matter of interest, out of all of the decorated Reversos you have seen, which is your favourite? All the best, Jon
LK February 1st, 2024-14:13
The dial of the Rama, with small modification, would make a nice dial for a Reverso Memovox, don't you think?
cfn February 1st, 2024-14:27
A recent article gave some background! Hi Nico, Stumbled across this article a few days ago. It dives into the back stories of these rare Reversos. Claus
kev09 February 1st, 2024-15:16
Thank you for posting that very interesting article. I enjoyed reading it although every time I read about the explanation of the reason Reversos were created i.e. to protect the glass during polo matches, I can’t help but wonder why those British Officers didn’t simply remove their watches during a match. ...
amanico February 1st, 2024-16:08
LOL. Good one! Maybe they kept it to not miss tea time? ;)
xto February 1st, 2024-16:13
amanico, thanks for yet one more illuminating thread And Claus, thanks for the article. Most here probably know the connection to polo but count me among those who didn’t know the India angle Kev, my question was always how a precious metal watch could even survive a hit from a polo mallet at all, not just ...
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amanico
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