The wonderful and sometimes irritating thing about travel and learning is that, on occasion, it requires you to rethink your position on certain things.
While we have to hold fast to certain values and ideals, we should allow ourselves some flexibility as we consider other, perhaps less important, issues and choices.
One such item that falls within the decidedly optional–nay, luxury–category would be the wristwatch. Historically, I’ve advocated for an unadorned stainless steel Rolex or a simple Cartier tank watch. Both classics in their own right: discreet, timeless, and so very suitable for handing down to the next generation.
As it turns out now, there’s another horse in the race. I was recently invited to attend an exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso wristwatch.
Their boutique in the 8th arrondissement welcomed me, a neophyte in the world of fine timepieces, as well as serious collectors from Paris and abroad, to a viewing of their timepiece collections as well as several informative presentations about the company and its history.
Of course, the whole idea was to sell more watches, but I doubt that JLC will have trouble doing that. I found a consistently tasteful aesthetic–even in their jewel-encrusted models–combined with world-class craftsmanship.
For Old Money Guys and Gals, I especially like the Reverso Classic Monoface. It resembles a Cartier tank watch and is priced in the same range. (New stainless steel models run around $6,000, gold about double that. Prices vary for pre-owned models online.)
I think the JLC is going to slide beneath a shirt cuff of a dress shirt much more easily than the Cartier. Which is one of those critically important things in life to consider.
And it has that clever, patented ‘reverso’ mechanism which allows the case of the watch to flip and hide the time, or reveal it, as you prefer. Always a fun thing to show off…carefully…as the easily impressed will be just that. And those in the know might be a little put off, especially if they already have a Reverso of their own.
I like the fact that JLC isn’t corporate-owned, a rare thing in today’s luxury marketplace. And the slim, almost whispering design of the Reverso models are a refreshing joy to behold.
So when you’ve achieved that goal of financial independence and want to reward yourself with a treat that will last a lifetime (and beyond), consider a Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch.
I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
- BGT
PS: JLC does not offer me any compensation for writing about their products. And I do not accept compensation (product or payment) from any vendor I recommend.