Okay, so, today I wanna talk about something I’ve been messing around with lately – trying to find a good imitation of the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Reverso Tribute Monoface watch online. Yeah, the real deal is way out of my budget, but a guy can dream, right? And maybe find something that looks the part without breaking the bank.
So, I started digging around, just to see what’s out there. I mean, the Reverso is such a classic, iconic watch. That reversible case, the Art Deco lines… it’s just beautiful. Apparently, it was made for polo players back in the day, so they could flip the watch face to protect it during matches. Pretty cool, huh?
First, I read some stuff about the history of the real JLC Reverso. These guys, Jaeger and LeCoultre, teamed up in the 1930s to make these super thin watches. The Reverso patent was filed in 1931, and the first ones were 38mm long and 24mm wide. They even made some in gold, and people would get engravings on the case back.
Now, I was not looking for a gold one, obviously. I was just trying to find a decent imitation of the steel version, the Tribute Monoface. But let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. There are a lot of fakes out there, and telling them apart from a good homage or replica is tough.
I spent hours looking at pictures, comparing details, reading reviews on forums and online stores. Let me tell you, some of these fakes are getting pretty good. But, I noticed some patterns.
- The size was often off. The real Reverso Tribute Monoface is pretty slim, around 7.2mm thick and 46mm long. A lot of the imitations were bulkier.
- The finishing. The real JLC watches are known for their quality. The fakes often had rough edges, uneven polishing, or just felt cheap.
- The movement. Of course, I wasn’t expecting a fancy mechanical movement in an imitation, but some of them had really loud or inaccurate quartz movements.
After a lot of searching, I did find a few that looked promising. They weren’t perfect, but they captured the general look and feel of the Reverso. But, I’m still on the fence. Is it worth it? Or should I just save up for the real thing, even if it takes years? I’m still not sure.
It’s a tough call. On one hand, it’s just a watch, and a good imitation can give you the look without the huge price tag. But on the other hand, there’s something special about owning the real deal, knowing the history and craftsmanship that went into it.
Anyway, that’s where I’m at with this whole imitation Reverso thing. It’s been an interesting journey, if nothing else. I’ve learned a lot about watches, about the history of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and about the lengths people will go to for a good-looking timepiece.
What do you guys think? Would you go for an imitation, or is it the real thing or nothing for you?
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