Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Po...

New York, Mar 15, 2006

LOT 250

"Reverso Septantième" Jaeger-LeCoultre, "Reverso Septantième - 8 Jours", No. 2002/09, Ref. 240.6.19. Made in a limited edition of 500 examples in platinum to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the legendary "Reverso" model in 2002. Very fine and rare, astronomic, extra-large, rectangular and reversible platinum gentleman?s wristwatch with large date, 8-day power reserve, night and day indication and a platinum Jaeger-LeCoultre deployant clasp. Accompanied by a large gray wooden fitted box, a magnifying glass and a certificate.

USD 30,000 - 35,000

EUR 25,000 - 30,000

Sold: USD 56,640

C. Three-body, solid, polished, reeded bezel, inner transparent case back, outer case back engraved: " Reverso Septantième", sapphire crystals. D. Ruthenium-colored "guilloché" solid silver with painted silver Arabic numerals on an outer plain reserve, subsidiary sunk seconds at 5, large double aperture for the date at 7, at 11 sector for the up-and-down indication, at 1 semi-circular aperture for the night/day indication. Luminous blued steel "Lozenge" hands. M. Cal. 879 in 18K white gold, "fausses côtes" decoration, 25 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shockabsorber, duo-spring-barrels, self-compensating flat balancespring, micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Dim. 29 x 47 x 12 mm. Thickness 12 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent

Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1

As new

Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Jaeger LeCoultre, "Reverso". The history of the "Reverso" begins in 1930 in India. Cesar de Trey, a Swiss traveler, conceived the idea of a watch that could be turned over to protect its dial and crystal from the dangers common watches faced on the dusty polo fields in the then British colony. Back in Switzerland, he approached the LeCoultre company in Le Sentier with his ideas. The watch case was developed by the Jaeger company in France, who asked French designer and engineer, René-Alfred Chauvet, to prepare the drawings for its production. Chauvet applied for Patent No. 712868 at the French Ministry of Trade and Industry on March 4th, 1931 and finally a patent was granted for the new design of a rectangular watch case that could be swiveled around, so that the solid case back protected the delicate mineral crystal from breakage. The new "Reverso" watch was destined to be in the stores already for the Christmas business in 1931 and LeCoultre envisioned a production of 5000 timepieces altogether. This watch became one of the company's most famous models. Today, more than 70 years later, its case has been carefully optimized, but its character remains unchanged. Embodying the style of the Art Deco period, the clean lines and the high quality of the "Reverso" watches have made it Jaeger LeCoultre's leading model and the company has carefully extended the line to offer a greater variety of one of the most characteristic and famous timepieces in the history of the wristwatch. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the "Reverso", in 1991, Jaeger LeCoultre introduced a limited edition model of only 500 examples in 18k pink gold in a larger, "Grande Taille" case, that became the first one of 6 limited models released in the following years. Each edition featured a special complication or technical innovation, offering maximum functionality in a minimum of space, that had not been realized in a "Reverso" until that time. In 2002, the "Platinum One" became the first "Reverso" realized in a platinum case.