Jaeger-Lecoultre sent me a Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Red for one month, because I wanted to have a more accurate appreciation of this watch.
So, I put it in my luggage for this long road trip, whch lead me in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
A trip full of colors and emotions, naturally.
About the " Reverso Red ", we already know a sum of facts, which are reported here:
jlc.watchprosite.com
The dimensions of the case are exactly the same than for the other Grande Reverso Ultra Thin, which are, exactly: 46 x 27 x 7, 27 mm.
The movement is the well known Cal 822, which was introduced for the first time in 1992, and which takes the benefit of its thinness ( 2, 94 mm ), but which seems very small compared to the dimensions of the case ( 22 x 7, 2 mm ), this detail explaining that the Manufacture opted for a solid case back, here.
The " Reverso Red " came one year after the " Black ", just in time to celebrate the opening of the JLC Boutique in Milano.
The " Black " was warmly welcomed, because of its very elegant volumes, remarkably thin rather than Ultra Thin, by the way.
The " Red " adds something else to the natural elegance of the " Black ": Something which is somewhere between Class and Coolness, or, maybe, a bit of both...
With some questions in mind, though: Is this a versatile watch, which can be worn in all occasions? Is the red dial getting boring, after a while?
What are the true feelings provided by this watch?
This is exactly what I wanted to test and discover during these 30 days, rather than its horological content, which is not specific to the Red version.
Jut be warned, before diving deeper in this article, the experience was terrific, so can be these words and pictures.
Let's start the trip...
1/ The Automotive experience.
Just before leaving Paris, I was invited to spend some hours with a good friend of mine who has a strong passion for Vintage Cars.
So, we went in a magic place where were gathered some car legends.
An excellent first opportunity to check how behaves the Reverso Red in such a particular environment.
Here, on the engine of a Ferrari 330:
Or on the Borrani Wheels of the very same car:
The Ferrari had a technical problem, so we took another italian car for a small road test, a De Tomaso Mangusta, another legendary monster.
Let's say that the Reverso Red was more comfortable with the naural elegance of the Ferrari rather than with the brutal charm of the De Tomaso, but Red is Red, the color of Passion, a feeling which is common to the Ferrari and to the De Tomaso, and a nice watch always has its place in a nice car.
A fine complement to the pleasure!
2/ A first stop at the Lago Di Garda.
Motorways are like our lives. We drive and live fast, and sometimes, not to say often, we miss some opportunities to discover and feel some charming and beautiful places.
It has been 15 years, now, that I take the same motorway to go to Trieste, and the only thing I see are lines and curves, trucks and cars, trying to avoid the radars because I have a huge passion for speed, and and enormous lack of points in my driving license...
Here is the link to the pictures I posted about the Lago di Garda:
timeout.watchprosite.com
The Reverso Red was perfect in such a grandiose decorum. Even if I preferred to not wear it too much there, to avoid to destroy the crocodile strap, due to an impressive heat ( more than 40° Celsius under the sun ).
But at least I took this picture:
And this wrist shot in the clear blue sky:
3/ Trieste:
The typical italian red roof was a nice background for the Reverso Red.
So, it was logical to take some pictures from this original perspective.
The Reverso goes very well with this town.
Trieste is an old town, with a blend of influences ( Austria / Venezia / Roman / Slavic ) whixh is noticeable in its architecture.
The Reverso has this classic allure, too, without forgetting that the vivid color of its dial can also be seen on the walls and roofs of some old houses.
At the beach, I had the surprise to see that it matched with a rescue boat, as you can see here:
Of course, by respect for its crocodile strap and the lack of water resistance, I didn't swim with it, but I wanted to know if it was a watch youn could possibly wear at the beach, and yes, it is, even if a Deep Sea Alarm, Polaris or NSA would be more coherent, of course.
A coffee cup shot, now...
In this case, I couldn't resist... As the coffee cup matches with the Reverso Red!
One of the best place to enjoy the reverso Red is certainly at one nice café terrasse.
I did a test on my wife's wrist, to be sure of its dimensons, and, as you will see, it fits very well!
It is unbelievable to see what they bring you, for the appetizers!
4/ Muggia:
Muggia is a small town, located at the other side of the Gulf of Trieste.
You take the boat, or go by car, it will take you approximatively the same time ( 20 to 30 minutes ).
Another wrist shot at the sea...
5/ Verteneglio ( Croatia )
A typical istrian village.... And a superb hotel.
The Reverso Red is in its element, here.
It is a luxury good, such as these cosmetics products.
For those who want to see more pictures of Verteneglio, here is the link:
timeout.watchprosite.com
6/ Rovinj ( Croatia )
An enchanting place, where I took two of my very favourite pictures of the Reverso Red.
The environment was ideal, with a superb marina, where the light was almost perfect:
A first for this watch, the Spaghettis with lobster Shot...
Certainly the watch too wear!
And what about this colorful picture?
An explosion of colors, of life, even if the background is let's say... More surprising, original?
As we are mentioning vegetables, what about this totamto shot?
After all, aren't white, red and green the colors of the italian flag?
It works on fruit, too...
Conclusion:
The natural environment of the Reverso Red is the Chic and the Luxury.
Its red dial goes much farer, in my opinion, than its black sister, in my opinion.
The finest moments were in a nice restaurant, in a café, and in some elegant places.
The Dressing Code is not too demanding, I think, for the Reverso Red.
Some nice tan, and a white linen shirt are its favourite playgrounds.
A suit will fit, naturally.
But no need to be formal, casual is also its world.
The Reverso Red is a style of life, a sweet Farniente, as they say ( and do ) in Italy...
The only thing I would change on this Reverso is its strap, which I find to be a bit too rogid, while some nice calf straps, in a differnt color, could work at the perfection.
I was really surprised to see how the interaction between the watch and vintage cars was so good, too.
A last point, which is an excellent sign: You can test a watch while wearing it, you can also understand how great it is once you returned it.
It is one week, now, that I gave it back to JLC, and I deeply miss it.
A lovely, adorable, and exciting offer from the Grande Maison, definitely.
Hoping that you won't be too much in trouble while reading these words and viewing these pics,
Best.
Nicolas.
This message has been edited by amanico on 2012-09-04 00:04:38 This message has been edited by amanico on 2012-09-07 05:51:06 
