Prodigal Questionnaire: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 3 May 2010
Vanity Fair has the Proust Questionnaire. Theirs is “candid, surprising, fascinating.” Ours? Not so much. It’s more: contrived, surpassed, fallacious.
We’re kidding of course. No way do the guys at Vanity Fair have a monopoly on revealing interview techniques! When it comes to penetrating the reasoning behind a watch-buying decision, we think you can’t do better than the Prodigal Questionnaire.
One watch. One decision. And 12 little questions that shine a probing, edifying light on them both.
Today, we’re putting The Prodigal Fool’s decision to buy a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve on the couch:
One o’clock: Where or how did you purchase this watch?
I’d wanted a Reverso for years, probably ever since I got seriously interested in watches. It’s one of the dozen or so all-time classic watch designs that remain in production today. Having bought a Reverso Grande Taille on eBay of all places I soon realised that it was too small for my oafish wrist. No, I needed to upsize. Of all the XXL-sized Reverso models, the Grande Reserve is the one I preferred because it comes closest to the original: pure and simple face design, uncluttered by complications. I picked mine up from the nice guys at The Swiss Watch Centre in London (talk to Tim.)
Two o’clock: What living person is it most like?
Leonardo DiCaprio: having always been a good looking little chap, he’s only recently grown just that little bit in girth and now, while he retains all the good looks that have made him famous the world over, finally has the physical stature to be taken seriously. As a world-class actor, he’s also, of course, able to be whatever he wants to be, depending on the situation.
Three o’clock: What is the watch’s greatest achievement?
I want to say its eight-day power reserve and wonderful reserve indicator hidden on the rear of the swivel case but it’s got a more impressive trick up its sleeve than that. Its greatest achievement? Making a design that dates back – almost completely untouched – to the 1930s look totally relevant and appealing today.
Four o’clock: What talent would it most like to have?
I would guess to appeal more to the American market. Our American cousins just don’t seem to get the immense appeal of the Reverso. The Reverso is all but ignored over there. (But, by the way, that’s exactly why the States is the place to buy them – great deals available on pre-owned examples.)
Five o’clock: Where should the watch live?
That’s easy: In Paris, on the wrists of suave French playboys. Pity then my poor Reverso, forced to live in London on the wrist of a fat Englishman who’s drunk more often than he’s sober…
Six o’clock: Which hero of fiction wears or should wear this watch?
Ha! Another simple one. Your Prodigal Questionnaire is a little easy peasy I think…[said in a bad French accent]
Bruce Wayne wears one in both Batman Returns and The Dark Knight. I can’t say whether Batman wears it under his Batsuit but I’d like to think so (case reversed at that point, of course, to protect the beautiful face from any crime-fighting injuries.)
Seven o’clock: What are its real life heroes?
As one of the oldest watch designs still in production it’s hard to say that the Reverso has many heroes. It is a hero to many others though. I’ve always thought the Cartier Tank and the Reverso share a lot of heritage. But the real descendants of the Reverso are to be found in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s current portfolio: the Squadra models.
Eight o’clock: What’s your greatest regret about buying this watch?
The debacle over the Grande Taille that I bought before this. I was originally obsessed by staying true to the ethos of the Reverso. It was, I told myself, designed to be a smallish, elegant watch and the new XXL-sized models like the Grande Reserve were not in keeping. But in my obsession for authenticity, I forgot one important detail: I’m a pretty big guy! The Grande Taille just never looked right on my wrist so I had to sell it, take a bit of a hit on the price, and go in search of the Grande Reserve. I’m delighted I did.
Nine o’clock: If it had a name, what would it be?
I’m not sure but it would definitely start with Jean. Jean-Claude, Jean-Philippe, Jean-Michel, Jean-Marc…
Ten o’clock: What do you most value about this watch?
Its pedigree.
Eleven o’clock: What is the trait you most deplore in it?
I’ve found that the case scratches too easily.
Twelve o’clock: Keep, sell or trade?
Keep. No question. Keep.
Be Prodigal
Who’s next on the couch?
The Prodigal Questionnaire is published on the first Monday of every month.
One watch. One decision. And 12 little questions that shine a probing, edifying light on them both.
If you would like to be the subject of PQ, drop us a line together with the details of the watch you own at: TheProdigalGuide@me.com
Prodigal Questionnaire: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve
Vanity Fair has the Proust Questionnaire. Theirs is “candid, surprising, fascinating.” Ours? Not so much. It’s more: contrived, surpassed, fallacious. We’re kidding of course. No way do the guys at Vanity Fair have a monopoly on revealing interview techniques! When it comes to penetrating the reasoning behind a watch-buying decision, we think you can’t do [...]
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11 Responses to “Prodigal Questionnaire: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve”
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Just wanted to let everyone know that I’ll be updating this post just as soon as I can snap some decent photos of the JLC. The ones above were the very best I could find on the ‘net and they really don’t do the poor watch justice.
Hang in there, we’ll get this post up to Prodigal standards very soon…
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Done – I hope you find the new photos more to your liking.
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Straight-Six
6 May 2010
Finger-licking good, my fool. But good…
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Missed the Prodigal Questionnaire on Monday? Here’s a reason to return « The Prodigal Guide
6 May 2010
[...] On Monday we launched a brand new feature on the site: The Prodigal Questionnaire. One watch. One decision. And 12 little questions that shine a probing, edifying light on them [...]
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[...] fine by us. In the same way that Jaeger-LeCoultre threw away their pencil after they’d drawn the Reverso, the 911 has remained all but unchanged from a styling perspective from launch. It looks gorgeous. [...]
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Jaeger Lecoultre Reverso Grande
10 September 2010
[...] Prodigal Questionnaire: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve … Today, we're putting The Prodigal Fool's decision to buy a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve on the couch: One o'clock: Where or how did you purchase this watch? I'd wanted a Reverso for years, probably ever since I got seriously . [...]
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Jaeger-LeCoultre launches a virtual museum for its iconic Reverso « The Prodigal Guide
16 December 2010
[...] Anyway, if you’re a fan of the Reverso, you should check out the online museum and the video below. We’re off to upload details of The Prodigal Fool’s Reverso Grande Reserve… [...]
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I just had an email from the very lovely PR people at Jaeger-LeCoultre with some interesting information about fictional characters who wear Reversos.
You probably know that Pierce Brosnan wears a Reverso in 1999′s “The Thomas Crown Affair”. What you may not know is that it was his own watch that he decided to wear. JLC only discovered it later when it was on the screen.
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Straight-Six
17 December 2010
That tells you everything you need to know about Brosnan, a man of impeccable taste. And did you also know that he was wearing a Duoface? A piece I have been lusting after for quite some time…
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Smooth sands of time: the Panerai PAM 386 « The Prodigal Guide
28 January 2011
[...] 806, this has done nothing to slow down his zest and passion for modern timepieces, like a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve and several modern Rolexes. On the other hand, Straight-Six went completely off the deep end and [...]
Straight-Six
3 May 2010
My word, that’s one long-ass session on the couch, dear Fool. And with nothing but a timepiece for company!
Then again, thing’s could be worse: one might be currently weighing a response to a previous statement about strapping on mechanical objects that provide one with pleasure…ahem!
We agree whole-heartedly about the Grande Reverso being a simply divine piece of horological sculpture. Yes, that’s right, I called it sculpture. In a day and age where many watch brands are hopping from one fad to the next, desperate to be the next “it” watch, one can only gaze in absolute admiration at JLC for having maintained their Reverso line intact and all while rolling out the Sqaudra derivative – which has caught my eye but hasn’t yet completely convinced me of its longevity.
And while JLC are farting around with the AMVOX, and some pretty lurid Master Compressor designs, the remainder of their line-up is arguably the most consistently beautiful and elegant of any watch brand out there. The Reverso is very much part of the reason this is so…