HANDS-ON: Janus-faced – the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon
It’s fair to say that, for most people, Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2017 has been synonymous with the Master Control series we’ve spoken about at length. On the one hand, these watches deserve their time in the sun; on the other hand, you might have missed the truly stylish Reversos JLC released this year. For me, the star of the swivelling show is this two-faced beauty, the Reverso Tribute Moon in steel. Last year JLC launched a Reverso subcollection – the Tribute Line – that honours the spirit of historic Reverso models, a mission the Tribute Moon well and truly delivers on, with equally beautiful night and day dials. I’m always struck by just how much watch you get with a Reverso. Of course you get one elegant watch with two distinct personalities, but on top of that you get the practically of two time zones and, in this case, the romance of a moonphase (matched with the less-romantic but eminently practical date), all in one of the most distinguished-shaped watches in the business. These pictures speak clearly to the beauty of the watch: the subtlety of the silver dial’s eggshell finish, and the richness of its twin’s clous de Paris texture, the lustre…
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We’ve been hitting the bottle this week, but not for the usual reasons. No, this week we’re celebrating that riot of colour and fun that is the Presage Cocktail Time. Now, you might be asking, what is Cocktail Time? Isn’t it about five o’clock? Well, yes and no. Cocktail Time is the on-point name of the latest dressy addition to Seiko’s Presage Line. You see, Seiko has a rich tradition of fan-driven monikers, with everything from ‘monsters’ to ‘samurais’. These colourful nicknames make sense really. ‘Turtle’ certainly rolls of the tongue a lot easier than SRP777, for example. But the Cocktail Time represents something of an important shift, as this is the first time Seiko themselves have embraced the less-formal naming conventions, which means that instead of a dry assemblage of SRPB41, SRPB43 and SRPB46, we now have watches named for the cocktails that they resemble – the Blue Moon, Sky Diving and Manhattan respectively. So, in showcasing these very attractive watches we naturally ended up in a bar, with a barman, matching drinks to watches. It’s something we definitely suggest you try at home, and, after watching this you’ll know how. Cheers to that!
If you’re ‘into’ watches, it’s easy to fall into a perception that a higher price naturally equates to higher value and quality. However, Seiko’s colourful and decidedly wallet-friendly Presage Cocktail Time turns these assumptions on their head, with an RRP well south of $1000 and a wrist presence that can compete with watches 10 times the price. Simply put, the Cocktail Time is a winner because it’s fun, and that’s mostly down to the dials. Take that away and you have a well-priced 40mm steel dress watch. Nice, but unremarkable. The Cocktail Time takes classic dressy tropes and turns the fun factor all the way up. There are bright colours, interesting textures, reflections and a dazzling play of light. The only way this watch could be more of a party would be if Seiko popped an actual disco ball on the wrist (I wouldn’t put it past them). And, of course, the cocktail association doesn’t hurt the cause either. Seiko has smartly made the boozy link explicit, matching the icy-blue dial with a Sky Diving, the brown with a Manhattan and the deep blue with a Moonlit Night (more on this later…), allowing you to identify with your favourite in…
It’s been a tough year for the luxury watch industry, and though things seem to be picking up now, the mood at SIHH in January could be described as reserved at best. One of the shining lights in a muted firmament was Jaeger-LeCoultre. Specifically, their newest Master Control release was a trilogy of watches celebrating the line’s 25th anniversary. Offered in date, chronograph and dual time configurations, these three watches shared JLC’s highly regarded movements, simple steel cases and vintage-inspired sector dials that transformed them from conservative classics into conversation starters. However, these watches didn’t just impress because of their style but also because of their refreshingly sensible price points. Other brands would do well to follow JLC’s sterling example. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Australian pricing Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date, $8300 Master Chronograph, $11,700, Master Geographic $13,900.
Twenty-five years ago Jaeger-LeCoultre released the Master Control collection, a line of watches dedicated to the sort of traditional high-quality watchmaking for which the Le Sentier-based house is so well known. The pure style of the Master Control sits well with the credibility afforded by JLC’s ‘1000 Hours Control’ testing program, in which the subject watch undergoes six weeks of extensive testing, covering off everything from accuracy to impact. And while these days this sort of rigorous testing procedure is increasingly par for the course, in 1992 JLC was well ahead of the pack. The potent combination of conservative good looks, horological credibility and a fair price meant that the Master Control collection has a well-earned reputation for offering exceptional quality. This year the offering only got better, as Jaeger-LeCoultre released a trio of anniversary watches with some pretty special vintage-inspired dials. The most simple of the three is the Master Control Date, followed by the more complicated Master Chronograph. Today, though, we’re going to look at the most complex offering of the three, the travel-oriented Master Geographic. Basically the Master Geographic is a dual-time watch with a city indicator. To me, the most remarkable achievement of the watch is how…
As Sandra so helpfully informed us yesterday, Cartier introduced the Tank Américaine in 1989. A bulked-up version of the Cintrée, with broad, muscly brancards, this Tank managed to capture not just the spirit of the times but also the bold, entrepreneurial spirit of the continent for which is was named. I can’t help but think that if Wall Street had been made a few years later, Michael Douglas would have been wearing an Américaine instead of a Santos. This year, as part of its Tank centenary celebrations, Cartier has released three new Tank Américaine models, in small, medium and large. And while the form is fundamentally the same as the 1989 model (and, indeed, the 1917 version), the big news is the case, which is — for the first time — steel. Not only does this give the Américaine more of a utilitarian, casual feel, it makes wearing a Tank every day a real proposition. Cartier Tank Américaine in steel Australian Pricing Cartier Tank Américaine, steel on alligator, $8050
It’s hard to overstate the importance of Cartier’s Tank. Not just in the rarefied world of watch design, but in the much broader fields of fashion and design. In a crowded scene full of pretenders it stands out, like an enduring style icon in a room full of so-called influencers. This year the Tank celebrates its centenary, and Cartier has released a brace of new Tanks to mark the occasion, in the Française, Américaine, Cintrée and Louis Cartier collections. We’re going to look at the new steel Américaine shortly, but today we’re spending time with the most classical iteration, the large Tank Louis Cartier in pink gold. What you immediately notice about this Louis Cartier is just how little the design has changed since the Tank Louis Cartier was first introduced in 1922. Sure, little details such as the hands and Cartier text have changed, and the case construction is a little more sophisticated these days, but the fundamentals – the rectangular shape, softly curved case elements, Roman numerals and conical crown – are all the same. The second thing you will notice is the size. Under no circumstances could you accuse this Tank of wearing large, even though it’s the large-sized model,…
By now it should come as no surprise that Longines is a master when it comes to heritage reissues. The company has a proven track record almost as long and distinguished as its actual archives. From the Legend Diver through to the COSD and the Heritage 1945, the Saint-Imier brand rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to vintage themed pieces. Longines’ latest is the Avigation BigEye, a handsome 41mm brushed-steel chronograph that draws on the marque’s strong aviation links. The design is based on a historical pilot’s chronograph, similar in style to the Type XX watches made by a range of brands, including Breguet. As with all good pilot’s watches, legibility is key, and the BigEye’s spartan colour scheme and relatively plain design very much honours that promise, with bold hash marks, large Arabic numerals, and traditional stick hands. But the most interesting design feature is the oversized elapsed minutes counter, the ‘Big Eye’ that gives the watch its name. This 30-minute subdial is larger than the running seconds and elapsed-hour counter, to give it maximum presence. Some people may find this larger counter slightly off-putting, but I find that this variation, along with the different layouts on the subdials, keeps things…
There’s a running joke in the Time+Tide office about my proclivity for “beautiful blue” dials –I once managed to say it a few too many times in a short video review and, well, it sort of stuck. But in the case of this new version of the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s classic Master Ultra Thin Réserve de Marche the accolade beautiful blue is well and truly deserved. JLC specialise in ultra-thin watches, and this design of the Réserve de Marche has been a part of the collection since 2012. It is an exceptional, traditionally styled 39mm steel watch with a complicated-but-balanced dial layout consisting of a radial date at two and a power reserve (which gives the model its name) at 10. There’s a small seconds subdial at six that rounds off the dial. Few brands putting together a watch with this cocktail of complications would be able to pull it off with quite the degree of elegance that JLC manages. Partially this is down to the surprisingly restrained use of text on the dial, but mostly it’s because of the clarity of the design. The applied arrowhead markers and sharply faceted dauphine hands are perfect. However, there’s no doubt that the real star here…