Jaeger-LeCoultre - Exclusive U.S. Limited Edition 1931 Reverso
WORLDTEMPUS - 17 March 2011
At an intimate luncheon at Casa Lever in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, Jaeger-LeCoultre's U.S. president Philippe Bonay introduced a limited edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute to 1931 model with a few special features just for the American market. The timepiece comes on the heels of the SIHH unveiling of the two Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931 timepieces that are so loyally vintage-inspired they don't even have a brand name on the dial: only "Reverso."
The new U.S. Tribute to 1931 Reverso Limited Edition has several unique features that the other timepieces don't offer. Among them is an original typeface for the "Reverso" font at 12:00. Also new is a light tan-colored luminescent hue to the dial markers - to reenact a patina - offering a much more vintage feel. The hands on this version are also slightly different - straighter with a pointed tip.
More importantly, however, the U.S. edition features a truly unique, custom-made strap created by the famed Argentina-based Fagliano family of polo boot makers. The five-generation family business is arguably the world's best polo boot maker - creating fewer than 90 pair of boots per year - each custom-fitted and handmade for such stars and celebrities such as the great polo player Adolfo Cambiaso, largely considered the world's best polo player. The polo boots created by this company retail for a minimum of $2,000. According to Bonay, when Jaeger-LeCoultre was deciding to create the special U.S. edition of the watch, it seemed only fitting to recall the brand's rich polo history - the reason for the birth of the watch - by turning to Fagliano to create the strap.
Eduardo Fagliano was present at the luncheon and talked of his passion for this family's great leatherworking and of his ideas as he was approached by Jaeger-LeCoultre to create the strap for the Tribute to 1931. Each top-quality cordovan leather watch strap is custom cut, punched and sewn. Each strap is hand-tailored at the Fagliano manufacture in Argentina and demonstrates the prowess of the company. According to Eduardo Fagliano, he counts every stitch he makes in each strap, and it takes almost a full day to make just one strap. Eduardo designed the look of the strap for the U.S. edition and incorporated stitching and overlays from polo boot designs. The back of the strap on the first 100 pieces created this year will feature the stamp "1931-2011," but the watch models will not be numbered.
Says Bonay, "We don't feel we need to number the editions; we are making 100 pieces, they are exclusive just by virtue of the production."
Whereas the globally available Tribute to 1931 version retails for $7,000, the U.S. edition with its superb strap retails for $7,250.
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