Discussion
hl99 brings to light an intriguing quote from Thierry Stern, head of Patek Philippe, regarding his admiration for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. This unexpected endorsement from a leader of a rival haute horlogerie brand sparks a discussion on inter-brand respect, perceived quality, and the unique position of the Reverso within the watchmaking world. The community explores the implications of such a statement and its potential impact on brand perceptions.
When you look around, what other watchmaker do you admire right now?
Rolex, I would say, is always doing good work. I respect them in terms of quantity. Being able to produce over a million watches with always a stability in terms of production. This is, for me, impressive.
And then there are plenty of other watches that I like, but not necessarily the brand – it doesn't mean I like all their other ones. For example, I always liked the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. I wish I could have made one. We have one in the museum, a Patek Reverso. I was very tempted to do my own Reverso, but I don't think it's fair – this is Jaeger's style, and that's how it is. I have to accept it.
Meanwhile, I guess when somebody says he respects and is impressed by another's quantity, we're supposed to connect the dots that he cannot say the same for quality 😆 However, it's worth a thought: haute horlogerie finishing is likely not the best or most appropriate way to express superlative quality in a chronometer 😎 Back to La Grande Maison, in other words, 'I adore Reverso but JLC suuux.' (Oof! Joking aside though, one has to admit the brand's been somewhat misfiring in recent years)
at a fellow competitor and former supplier is one thing but following a very similar trajectory themselves is lacking grace.
What a nice watch! Out of all the "Grande Reverso" models, this is my favorite. It's a little big for my wrist, so I wear the Grande Taille size.
Seriously, the Nautilus craze has become a uniform in high society circles. I was at an auction house during the Pebble Beach Concours and I'd say nearly 10% of the entire room was wearing a Nautilus! So many of them!
I don’t really understand the need for Stern to highlight that he doesn’t love every JLC. I suspect we could all say that about every manufacturer, including PP. So to suggest you like the Reverso “but not necessarily the brand” seems both impolite and unjustified. And the backhanded compliment of Rolex (they produce a lot of watches!) also seems a bit graceless.
This thread is active on the Jaeger-LeCoultre forum with 14 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
Join the Discussion →
