Jaeger-LeCoultre has updated its 2009 Duo Date collection with the hand-wound Grande Reverso Duo (Ref. Q3742421) in 18-karat rose gold. As before, the Duo features two dials: a silver one with an Art-Deco-style layout and a “digital” calendar wheel, and a black one with a more modern finish and a GMT indicator with day/night display at six o’clock. Thought about adding a The Onion-style joke about a guy with a bipolar disorder, but then decided that that one would be a bad taste. Go figure.
Soon to be available both in rose gold and in stainless steel, the Q3742421 is powered by the same Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 986 hand-wound movement that we have already seen in the previous “GMT” version of the Reverso.
Featuring a simple calendar and a second time-zone, the movement is only 4.15 millimeters thick, allowing for a relatively thin (for a double-faced watch) case.
Speaking of which, I must warn you that the case may be too large for some people with thin wrists.
According to official specifications, the Grande Reverso Duo will be 48.50 mm long, 30.00 mm wide and 10.20 mm thick. For example, the recently unveiled JLC Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 was offered in a smaller 46.00 mm x 27.50 mm body and even that model may be considered large-sized. Still, featuring integrated lugs design, the timekeeper’s case is still not long enough to pose any serious problem: you must have really narrow wrists for the case not to fit perfectly. The case is deliberately unsophisticated but still looks extremely elegant and refined.
As the previous model, the new JLC Grande Reverso Duo will feature two dials: a guilloche silvered with a small seconds display at 6 o’clock and a date aperture at 12 o’clock, and a black one with the second time zone with a 12-hour scale and a handy day/night indicator. What’s even more interesting is that both faces feature different approaches to nighttime legibility. While the silver one with its blued hands and high-contrast black Arabic numerals were designed to be read in good lighting conditions, the one in black features has the numerals and the hands covered with white Superluminova making sure that you will always be able to tell time while suffering from jet lag in a Presidential Suite in a New-York City hotel of your choice.
The Grande Reverso Duo will be sold on a black alligator leather strap with a JLC folding clasp made in rose gold. The recommended minimum price is reported to be set at an affordable (given the brand’s niche) $21,000 USD.
See also: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra Chronograph GMT Palermo Open
Photos: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Duo in Rose Gold (Ref. Q3742421) specification
Price: $21,000 (MSRP)
Movement: Hand-wound, JLC Caliber 986, 28,800 vph, 19 jewels, 4.15 mm in height, 183 components, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, dual-time zone (GMT) with 24-hour display, day/night indication
Power reserve: 48 hours
Case: Rose gold
Shape: Rectangular
Dimensions: 48.50 mm x 30.00 mm
Case height: 10.20 mm
Dial: Guilloche Silvered / Guilloche Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Blued steel
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black alligator leather with folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective coating
Back: Sapphire