Brand
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duo Day/Night In Stainless Steel Q27181
It’s hard not to love the classic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. With a signature rectangular style, the flipping-case icon is instantly recognizable, distinguished, and charming. Seeing one in the wild almost feels like spotting a celebrity, and so wearing one on the wrist might as well make you just that.
This example of the design, the Reverso Duo Day/Night ref. Q2718110, is a particularly charming model produced by the brand and dated to early 2008. Like other Reverso Duos (sometimes known as the Duoface), this model features two distinct dials on either of its flipping sides. The first, a clean silver dial with a guilloche center, rectangular minute track, and large legible numerals, accompanied with a sub-dial for its running seconds and a set of lovely blue steel hands. And on the second side, a textured outer sector plays host to two inner sunray sectors, the top a pre-war, Art Deco inspired look running the same time as the front dial, and the bottom section featuring a suave little register displaying a second time zone on 24-hours.
Flipping the dial of the Duoface back and forth isn’t only fun, it feels like you’re getting two watches in one. Tired of a time-only wearer? Flip it over and you have a GMT. Getting bored of the dark dial? Flip it over and head back to the light side. The different colorways furthermore add to its versatility, allowing the well-sized 26mm rectangular timepiece to easily fit within any outfit or occasion.
The two sides of the watch keeping time may have you wondering what’s powering such an uncommon piece, and that would be the JLC caliber 854/1. Hand-wound and maintaining a 45-hour power reserve, the 1994 introduced mechanism is a real horological achievement, showcasing the local time on two sides of the same watch, in addition to a complete other timezone in a 24-hour format. The mechanism at its launch reinvented how watch enthusiasts consider a dual time zone watch, and on the wrist it’s difficult not to fall in love with it yourself.
The story of the Reverso is much the same as the story of watches. Unveiled in 1931 at the request of polo players, the watch at its launch was an Art Deco marvel, and one frequently considered as the first sports watch in the world. Since then, the Reverso has become, funnily enough, one of the most iconic non-sports, formal-focused watches on the market, its uncommon proportions and intriguing shape making it a distinct timepiece on the wrist, and providing for a unique clout to any person who dares bring it into the fold of their collection.
By extension, the story of the Duoface, and in particular this Duoface, the ref. Q2718110, is that it simply carries on the legacy of the Reverso into the modern age. Just as the original Reverso innovated with its flipping case, the Duoface innovated in both its flipping case and double dials, even going a step further in adding an additional time zone function to one of these dials. That achievement is made possible by the distinct JLC caliber 854/1, a handwound movement first unveiled in 1994 that completely changed how the market considered what a dual time zone watch could be.
This particular JLC Reverso Duo Day/Night is in overall excellent pre-owned condition, meaning there are very light signs of wear and some small scratches on the case and bracelet that come with being lived with. Both dials present in excellent condition. The case has been professionally refinished. The bracelet is tight with little stretch between the links and fits a 7 inch wrist max. The caseback is marked with information about the model as well as the serial number "2592782" although has been polished and the engraving is difficult to see. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended.
The watchmaker's watchmaker. La Grande Maison. JLC. There's only one Jaeger-LeCoultre, and since Antoine LeCoutre founded his Vallée de Joux workshop in 1833, the company has remained almost peerless when it comes to horological innovation. Since 1833, more than 1,242 calibers have been developed by the brand, receiving over 400 patents in the process. Starting in 1903, a watchmaker named Edmond Jaeger teamed up with the LeCoultre company, resulting in the foundation of today's Jaeger-LeCoultre. Now part of the Richemont Group, some of the brand's most well-known watches include the Reverso, the Polaris, the Memovox, the Atmos clock, and many, many more timepieces.
