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amanico
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THE PLATINUM REVERSOS...THE REVIEW.

While reading all the JLC documents and books, I fell on some very nice Platinum Reversos, and started thinking on how many were made.

As I was trying to number them, I suddenly was conscient that it was quite a possible thematic collection, as they are quite a lot,but not too many, and interesting as they cover some interesting complications, and to be more precise, quite all the complications, except the Minute Repeater!

The main problem is that this kind of collection is quite impossible to do, as some of them are unaffordable for most of us, like the Reverso Squadra Triptyque, or the latest Gyro II.

So, at the end of the 90's, ( I don't have the precise year, but maybe some of you can give it ), JLC launched the MoonPhase, in platinum...

This Reverso was made in a GT case, so the dimension are quite perfect for each wrist.

The dial is finished in Ruthenium, in a very lovely way, with heated blue hands, and numbers in silver powder...



Appealing, isn't it?

The movement is nicely worked too, with some obvious work on the finish.



A closer look to appreciate it...



This was a LE of 125 pieces, that I didn't often see to be offered for sale in the various Collector Markets.

Then came the Reverso Reserve de Marche, which is the only one to not have been made in Limited Edition..

Ruthenium Guilloché Dial, Silver Powder Numbers, Blue heated hands for the indication of the power reserve and the small second, this is obviously the more sober Reverso in platinum, presented in a GT case, like the Sun Moon.

I took a lot of pics, as this dial is beautiful, due to the Ruthenium...As always, change the light, you'll get different colors...Something magic!





Change the angle, change the light while using the flash, and this watch won't look the same...



Some other pics to enhance its class and elegance...





This is the only Reverso in platinum I know with a solid case back, as the original model:



Deep Blue Croco Strap, Platinum Folding Buckle, all is perfect!





The nicer angle I found to shoot this Reverso is this one, just perfect to enhance its natural beauty...





Are you in love, right now? LOL

The only little thing I don't get is why JLC, as the others, put a Pöwer Reserve Indicator on a watch which has an autonomy of only 40 hours...
It would have been even nicer without!!!

But I can tell you that it's a very pleasant watch to wear, the platinum giving it a nice weight ,and a perfect balance on the wrist!



Then, let's have an eye on the 70eme, a Limited Edition of 500 pieces.

I made a review on it, so if you want to get more in depht infos, please go on this topic.

Here, I will just remind that this was a lot of " FIRST" for this watch.

1st Reverso in XGT Case.
1st Reverso to get the Big Date.
1st Reverso to have a 8 Days Movement.
1st Reverso to enjoy a 18 carats White Gold Movement.( The 60eme had a 14 Carat Rose Gold movement ).

You will find the DNA of the previous Reverso platinum with this 70eme:

A guilloché Ruthenium Dial, here again, with htese dedicated silver powder numbers:



An obvious elegance and distinction:





A strong look and a perfect finish, with the mandatory deep blue croc and platinum folding buckle.



A very nice movement, deeply reworked, to reach a perfect level of finish, too:





And a pleasure to wear it, as you can be dressy or casual, no problems...



My favorite!

The only deception is that when this watch was launched, a lot of people believed that JLC will make some nice developments on it, and that this 70eme will house some other nice complications...As they did with the Rose Gold series.

This wasn't their idea, as they made some other wonderful Platinum Reversos, but not in the XGT case...

In 2002, they presented the Reverso Platinum Nr1, a skeleton watch without any complication, a Limited Edition of 500 pieces, artisitically finished...



The work on the movement is once again, stunning:

Fine sculptures, blue heated hands, a perfect combo of silver, some rare touches of gold, and these blue hands which match with the blue sapphire at the top of the crown...Nice conception!







And the Verso side is treated the same way:



The best way to appreciate it is to view it with this angle...

You may think that the dial is a bit too busy, but if you look at it with this angle, you will really admire the work, and the efforts to make such a piece...

You will immediately notice the transparency of both sides..This is just gorgeous!







The Platinum Nr2 is another thing...No skeleton, this time, but another kind of refinement, the Tourbillon!



A true Masterpiece, presented in 2003 as a Limited Edition of 500 pieces, but I think that less were produced, with a very nice smooth ruthenium dial, a symetrical disposition of the power reserve indicator and of the small second, even if, once again I don't get the interest to show a power reserve of 40 hours...And, as always, the silver powder numbers, and the White Gold movement...





And the same watch, but under a special angle, which shows all its beauty and all its interest, IMHO.



This is indeed a magnificient watch, really underated, and this is not just, as I think that in a collection, it deserves a very good place.

I appreciate a lot that the tourbillon is on the verso side, as you can play with it each time you want, without having to see it in permanence...

for further pics and informations, please go to the review I made about it.

Even more gorgeous, the Reverso Tourbillon in platinum, skeleton!

This is not a mix between the Reverso platinum Nr 1 and Nr 2...



This is truely a totally different watch, for me, but I know I'm not alone to think it, the Nicest , or one of the 2 or 3 nicest Reversos ever made.

If you find the Reverso Nr1 too busy, and if you really want a tourbillon, this one id for you, my friends, if you can get one, because it's a bit more expensive than the Nr 2, and there is a big problem...This is a Limited Edition of only 35 pieces, made in 2004, and sold out a long time ago...



The finish of the movement on this Masterpiece is simply outstanding....Yes, we really are in the very High Horology World!





These Macros speak better than my poor English...





And wearing this watch gives you the idea to calculate ASAP the time you'll need to go till the exit of the shop without paying..LOL

To give you an idea between a very nice watch and an oustanding watch, here's a pic of the Nr 1 and the Nr 2 Skeleton side by side...



There again, the little sapphire on the top of the crown, the blue heated hands, the deep blue croc strap, and the platinum buckle achieves the picture of this Masterpiece.

Just before ending this topic with the 2 monsters of the family, let's say a word of a watch I've quite forgotten, when I was thinking about all the Platinum Reversos...The Eclipse!

Well, the movement is not that special, as this is the cal 849, but the presentation, the esthetic of the watch is indeed particular, maybe more a piece of Art than Horology...





The enamel dial is simply gorgeous, and as said in the catalog, "it allows you to create the magic of theatre at a flick of the fingers".

Yep, I think we're more in Art than in Horology...But beautiful and rare pieces as I believe there are only 8 pieces in platinum, per dial.

Now, the 2 monsters...

The first is, of course, The Reverso Triptyque, launched in 2006, for the 75th birthday of the Reverso.

This is the watch of all superlatives:

- A Grande Complication, with a Tourbillon with an ellipse isometer escapement, the Civil, the Astronomical and the Perpetual Time.

- 3 Dials to house all the 18 complications of the watch.( One on the carrier, for the instantaneous perpetual calendar with retrofrade indications )

- A watch which dimensions are enormous: 55 x 37,7 x 17,9 mm !

- A superlative finish.

- A price which is...Pricey.LOL

I had the opportunity to see it several times, and the feeling was always the same, which can be summed in a few words: Don't approach it to your wrist!

When you see it, without touching it, you immediately think that it's an unwearable watch, due to its dimensions...

When you put it on the wrist, you see, feel and know that this is a very big and heavy watch ( platinum case ), but the surprise is violent...It's wearable, easily wearable.

The pics I took are that bad that I deleted them, once back home, so I'll give you, as a reminder, only the official press files pics.





This watch is simply a Myth, an Ode to the High Horology, due also to its rarity, as only 75 pieces were made.

The 2d Monster is my favorite, I fell in love with at first sight, and will never forget the feeling I had when I saw it: The Reverso Gyrotourbillon II.

Jerome made a great review on it, so for technical details, please refer to it, you will certainly have a great pleasure reading it.

I'll just give here my opinion, and share my feelings with you.

This is THE Reverso, THE reference, THE milestone in a collection, or, as it's only made in a LE of 75 pieces, THE milestone of a catalog.

I was hypnotized by the Gyro I, the Gyro II destroyed me! And I'm very serious...

While seeing it, I was thinking of selling all my collection to buy it.

I was at 3 or 4 meters from it, the 1st time, and I knew that it was not a Masterpiece, but THE Masterpiece.

We should change the definition of the term " Grande Complication " only for this watch.

This is not " stricto sensu " a Grande Complication, as it's not the addtion of some of the traditionnal complications like the Minute Repeater, the Perpetual Calendar or an elaborated Chronograph, the Gyro II " only housing Hours, Minutes, seconds, 24 Hours indicator, and on the back side, the Power Reserve indicator, and the main thing, of course, the Spherical Tourbillon.

Let's say that instead of " Grande Complication ", we should use the word " High End Horology " for this Masterpiece.

So, the 2 most important elements to consider with this watch are the finish, and the spectacular Tourbillon:



I never saw in a JLC watch such a finish, and if we are honest, we may think that even PP or VC, or Lange are maybe not superior on this watch.

All is perfectly thought, executed, finished...

This just terrific.

The Recto movement:



The Verso movement:



Just ...Speechless.

A view on the whole watch, in both sides...





The stunning thing is that the proportions are quite the same than the Tritpyque, but the Gyro II looks more like a Big Reverso than a Squadra.

55 ( same than the triptyque ) x 36 ( 1,7 mm less than the Triptyque ), and 17, 67 ( 0, 23 mm less than the Triptyque ).

A last advice..Never try to wear it, it's the most dangerous watch I know!

So, to give a conclusion to this post, there are nothing less than 9 Platinum Reversos.

9 different faces of the Horology seen and revisited by JLC, 9 little treasures from the simpler to the most complicated expression of this legendary model now 77 years old, 9 reasons to include a Reverso in our collection.

Hope you will enjoy this long post.
Best.
Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-05-01 00:05:53 This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-05-01 00:07:22 This message has been edited by Dje on 2008-05-04 22:26:43