LeCoultre Vintage 1930's Reverso in 18k Solid Gold and Stainless Steel Caliber 410 Exceptional Condition
You're looking at one of the rarest Reverso watches from the 1930's. Very few two-tone models were made; in fact, they were the least produced model with only a handful of examples. The only other I've seen is from the same era commissioned by Edward the VIII for his kingship coronation. Here is the article on that. This super rare LeCoultre Reverso is in excellent vintage condition. This caliber 410 sub seconds instead of the caliber 411 sweep central seconds is also rarer; there is even an endearing engraver's error on the "Two" for the number of adjustments reminding us that this stuff was all done with hand tools in the 1930's. It looks like he started engraving "To..." and then struck over the "o" with a correct "w". The black dial is awesome and does have some small flaws due to never being refinished - there is some lume missing from the indices (please examine pictures) and a very small blemish at the edge of the dial around 9 o'clock. The case appears to had never been polished. Speaking of the case, although you'll see some rough spots, is in excellent condition including all the lug solder intact (not cracked). Some early examples show the solder connections to the lugs nicely polished out. It is my understanding, based on research and speaking with some other experts, that it was common in some markets for LeCoultre to leave the case mostly unpolished depending on the market the watch was going to; but this was only in the very early stages of Reverso development through the 30s. Most of the dark spots you see in the pictures between the lugs are just that, age dark spots that you don't see when the strap is on and can be polished away if you want. In fact, this watch could be made to look perfect with polishing if you wished to do so; however, this will reduce the collector value and we will not do this. The original black dial is co-branded (another rarity) with Walser Wald, an exclusive jewelry retailer from Buenos Aires, back when this was one of the wealthiest cities in the world. It's very rare that there is no personal engravings or any evidence of one being polished off. This is a cult watch and an extreme rarity. Price is firm and the watch is guaranteed authentic. Already accepted into JLC archive program. It is presented on a new Hadley-Roma $150 Alligator strap and will also include its bracelet in gold filled links as found (neither are LeCoultre). March, 2018 - Update: JLC has taken more than 6 months, but they have finally verified this piece as genuine. I do not intend to purchase the certificate because I already knew it was genuine; however, I will purchase it upon request and to cover some of the fee it will cost an extra $250 USD. This will be invoiced upon receipt of the certificate from the archives. We may also produce a certified appraisal for much less cost to you. Appraisals are actually better because they determine value and condition while the "archive service through JLC" will only confirm a watch is genuine, and it takes them forever to process. I will not ship this watch outside of the USA - thank you.
