Jaeger-LeCoultre

It turned out that there is a little something for myself this Christmas as well.



Contained in the subdued box is...



A resolutely simple Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso 976 in black



It would have been great if the subdial were rectangular like on the silver model.



The small crown provides little gripping surface for my clumsy digits.



The lustrously polished case sides are nice but prone to light scratches.



The backside of the carriage features pertinent information about the watch in an orderly fashion.



Fine brushed finish before the scratches from the swilveling take permanent residence.



Caliber 976's three-quarter plate design hides almost everything from view. For all superior performance advantages this may afford, being the shallow and superficial person that I am, I am more interested in seeing all those bridges instead.



But all complaints can be dismissed entirely once the watch is on the wrist. I think it makes for a perfect dress watch of a modern proportion. I don't have the numbers but the 976 seems longer but thinner than my XGT-size Reverso Grande Sun Moon.



The watch comes with a stiff but shaped 22/20 mm (I believe) strap. That is the largest of all JLC watches I have or had.



If Bruce Wayne is going to wear a Reverso again in the next Batman movie, I think the black dial of this 976 is more suited to the Dark Knight's shadowy character than the Reverso Grande Date he is wearing.



It was a long and winding road before I arrived at this watch. First I made a mistake of selling my JLC Master Moon in late 2009. Then a couple of months later the JLC Master Compressor Diving Navy Seals Automatic was introduced. The size appeared more wearable than the Navy Seals Alarm and I was immediately intrigued. Eventually I decided not to take the watch but the idea of owning a black JLC kind of sticks.

Later I found out that the Grande Reverso 976 was then available in black. But I had yet to warm up to the well-finished but otherwise unexciting movement so I shifted my target to and decided on the Reverso Squadra Hometime Black instead. Unfortunately, the watch arrived with a minor defect. Its replacement also had a minor defect although of a different nature. Most of you must have read about my little ordeal earlier. As you can tell, my confidence was shaken and I reverted to the Reverso 976. The dealer was kind enough to accommodate that, ordered me a fresh 976 in black and I am a happy camper once again.

And, hey, it wouldn't be "Double Christmas Joys" if there is only one watch, right?


For some reasons the red Omega bag is most appropriate for the Christmas time.



Inside is the usual white outer box.



And the not so usual wooden inner box. You can probably tell now that the content of the box is something quite feminine.



Well, it is! The new Speedmaster Ladies with grey dial for my financee!



I don't know about you but I like this sunburst effect very much, how it plays with the light and how it lends elegance to an otherwise technical chronograph.



Read somewhere that the white version has a ceramic bezel. Not sure if the same is true for this black one. Any information will be appreciated.



Butterfly deployant clasp has this instead of the Omega logo.



Too bad they didn't offer a display back so we can see the Caliber 3304 in the works inside.



So it's time for the obligatory wrist shots.



The 38 mm case is almost too large for her petite wrist. Certainly, the watch is not meant for office/formal business days. But it should provide a refreshing change from her everyday watch the Constellation '09.



We ordered this watch right after Basel 2010 for her birthday in September. But the watch did not arrive until a few days ago, just in time for Christmas. She likes the look of the watch quite enough. Let's see if she will like wearing it in the long run. I hope she will.

All right. That is all I have to share today. Hope you enjoyed the watches.

Ruckdee

pair of watches!

I really like how the new Speedmaster for the ladies looks!

Thanks for the nice photos and best of luck with the beautiful timepieces!

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The Grande 976 is reall apealing with its black dial!

No jealous, here, only happy people.

Congrats to both on you.

All the best,

Nicolas.

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Hope to see the  picts of  your new Reverso on siamnaliga too.

happy new year 2011

 

Here is good. Real fans all around. That's also why you are here.

Happy New Year!

Ruckdee

congrats again

J

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Love the look in black. U wish my wife liked watches like your fiancé. Been looking for a while but she won't look at anything. So it is hard to fund her something. Wait maybe that's a good thing. More for me. Lol. Aside though those are both beautiful watches.

I think sometimes it's easier for ladies to fall in love with quartz watches if the design is right for them. Many of my friends' girlfriends/spouses prefer not to own mechanical watches because of the hassles they can bring. They just want to grab the watch and go without having to set anything. Maybe that's the case for everyone.

Ruckdee

...to both you and your fiancee.  Two great watches.  I like that Omega a lot -- it looks great on her wrist.  Perfect for weekends and less formal wear.  The sunburst effect on the dial is very nice, as you point out.

But that Reverso Grande 976????  Well, that  is a PERFECT JLC to land on, IMHO.  I recall your troubles with the the Squadra, and I felt really bad for you as that is also one of the Reversos I admire most. But the 976 is a wonderful incarnation of the Reverso.  And it looks right at home on your wrist -- a very good size for both of us. ;-)

Squadras aside, the 976 and the Grande GMT are my two favorite current Reversos.  The 976 is beautifually simple without even a date.  The movement, as you said, may leave too much to the imagination, and perhaps it would have been better to offer only a solid caseback.  But I must say the view of the movement has grown on me.  It is simple and sober looking, certainly not overdone, matching the dial side. 

I myself am waiting to see what JLC will announce in the next few weeks, but then I think I may have to decide on a Reverso -- this 976 of yours is probably the front runner, followed closely by the Squadra HT (notwithstanding your recent troubles) and the Grande GMT.  Your photos of the 976 are pushing it further ahead in the race.  You are really talented with the camera, Ruckdee, which is not good for me. 

Well I am sure both of you will enjoy these new watches.  2010 was a good year for you in the end.

Best,

respo 

Do you remember you posted a pic of the black 976 from the dealer? The one with a Vacheron or something in the back? Well, that is the beginning of madness!

I think I am one of those hard-to-please buyers. I like the clean dial design of the black 976 and the movement layout of the Squadra Hometime. But since I had to choose one so I went for the movement first and now this.

Size-wise and considering your other wrist shots, I think the 976 will fit your larger wrist even better.

By the way, please do not be discouraged by my experience with the Squadra Hometime. I am sure the problems I experienced were not any design bug but more of substandard assembly work.

Thank you for taking the time to share with me your enthusiasm. And thank you also for the compliment on my photography. You know everyone can be a photographer these days with digital cameras. Heh hehh...

Ruckdee

...may have started the "madness" for you.  Yes, the "Vacheron or something" in the background was the 1921 American that I later purchased, delaying the purchase of the 976 for a while.  No regrets, however.  Idid ok, and I am confident a Reverso is in my future.  ;-)

Your story about the Squadra did not discourage me at all.  These mechanical beauties made by hand all have a capacity for problems at some point.  I do not expect every auto to be perfect, even out of the factory, so why expect perfection of a mechanical watch?  If and when a problem arises, I know that JLC will always make it right in the end.

Having tried both the Squadra and the 976, I like the way both feel and look on my wrist.  That makes decisions all the more difficult. ;-)

Best and enjoy your new Reverso.  Perhaps a family shot of your Reversos is due...

respo

And not to mention loads of vintage charm. The watch they made that I liked best is the older version of Overseas. And the square watch I think is called Toledo with triple date and moonphase. Your choice follows very closely behind. Nice.

I don't think getting it first is a setback at all. You can always get the 976 or the Squadra later. Besides, you already have other JLC watches to wear for now.

Will find time to take some pics of the two Reverso after the new year. My Grande Sun Moon is now resting safely in the bank vault.

Thanks.

Ruckdee

... great choice for both watches... of course from a JLC fan perspective, i would like the Reverso 976 most.... LOLOL.

very nicely captured the fine details of the watch, well done and congrats on your timely Xmas gifts to you both!

stefan

The crystal keeps reflecting the ceiling or wall and there's a uniformed glare across it if you know what I mean.

Ruckdee

Huge congrats on the Reverso and on the great looking Omega.

Drew

...I have learned that bounced flash and simple white wall work wonders sometimes.

Ruckdee

Surely you and your fiancé are elated with the Xmas haul. Btw, just curious, the fiancé can prob pull off the 976as well, and you the speedy...is this deliberate? Why not the 986, i stead of the 976, esp since the fiance can use one dial and you the other. Do you guys "share" timepieces? I know quite a few couples who do.

Best

Horo This message has been edited by Hororgasm on 2010-12-28 13:27:58

No, we haven't shared watches before because of the wrist size difference.

Why the 976 and not the 986? Two reasons. One is I don't like the date windows where more than one date is shown (as is popular now). And most importantly, the 986 is wayyyyy to large for my wrist. I almost couldn't pull off with the 976 which is somewhat shorter than the 986. Here's a pic of my wrist, my Grande Sun Moon and the 986 at a JLC dinner event two years ago.



My fiancee cannot wear my 976, by the way, because even the Grande Sun Moon is too long for her. We have a plan to buy her a ladies Reverso but after the wedding because we don't really have much money to spend on these luxuries.

And for the Speedmaster Ladies, well, that is bought to pair up with my Speedmasters as I already have a few of those in regular wear.

Ruckdee

Ruckdee

Congrats, Ruckdee. I like your deliberate approach to watches. And it certainly shows. I was mesmerized by the speedy on your fiancee's wrist. Let's just say that she is wearing the watch and not the other way around.

I have my reservations on the round subdial on the reverso as well. But I think I'm warming up to it already.

Thanks for sharing, Ruckdee

That and a measure of perfectionism. Together that makes for a great inconvenience in life trust me.

But then I learned to demand less and allow more. Say, for example, I have always wanted to have a black car. But I never bought one because I knew I was going to see a lot of hairlines on the surface no matter how careful I am. Then one day I said to myself, "It is better to have a scratched up black car than not to have one at all."

The same logic applied last year when Omega came out with the re-edition of the Seamaster Ploprof. The original had the date window at three o'clock. The current one has it at between four and five. And I hate that a lot. Give me three or six not this, you know? But I was the first person in my country to decide on the watch still. The slanted date window issue dismissed totally. A little imperfection for the greater good (of having the watch as opposed to not to have it).

So you see now the round subdial on the 976 is not too hard for me to get over. Hope you find some useful thoughts in my senseless rationalization!

Ruckdee

Those are a wonderful pair, both look great on the wrists too.

Congrats to both of you!

Goh

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It may not be conventional, but I feel it actually gives the dial more character and contrasts nicely with the square minute/hour indices, fitting nicely with the "dual" nature of the Reverso, if you're willing to allow a bit of a philosophical stretch

Thanks for sharing! That is quite the roundabout trip, but I'm glad you found something you are finally satisfied with. Wear both of your respective timepieces in good health! Now we can sit back and wait for the SIHH show, the drama out of the way...

Jason

P.S. Beautiful photos! What is the macro lens of choice for the photogs in this forum? I have a Canon DSLR and clearly have larger problems with my photography skills than lenses, but it can't hurt to know

... I'm on the Nikon camp and what I use is a simple 60/2.8 macro lens they make. If there was any magic in my photographs then it was from careful flash bouncing. It's a shame the wallpaper is creamy all round. I used to live in a white room and that way there is no yellow cast on the steel.

Thanks for your compliment on the watches and also on the pics. I hope to find something to show you and the others again soon.

Ruckdee

The 976 is my favourite 2010 Reverso!

 

(Un)fortunately 2010 was a Memovox year for me – so no room for any Reversos…

 

Congrats to both you and your wife!

 

Wear them in good health!

 

 

Best

 

Blomman