Pre-Owned Spotlight: Dress Or Sports? (Breguet- JLC- And )

November 22, 2011

It has been a while since I curated a selection of watches for Fratellos Pre-Owned Spotlight column, and truth be told, I wasnt looking at other watches for a long time. I feel that my collection is (or was) quite where I want it to be, and everything on top is just that - on top. The new GMT-Master II in gold does have my interest, but its a lot of money for me to spend on one watch. There are days that I have less in my pocket.What I m currently doing is consolidating my collection a bit. What watches do I have that see no daylight and can be sold to fund something new? And although I ve already started the process of selling some watches, I dont have anything specific in mind for my next purchase. I did, however, come across several interesting watches on my wish list, mainly gold pieces. According to my colleague Mike, my fascination with gold is something typically Dutch. I am also drawn to purchasing (another) dress watch. I purchased my Breguet Tradition 7027BA (yellow gold) on March 1st, and Ive been giving it a lot of wrist time. Most of my watches are sports watches, and dress watches are in the minority. A sports watch is perhaps a bit more versatile, but Ive noticed that I truly enjoy wearing a dress watch, even when dressed more casually.Dont buy it because it is affordable; buy it because you love itBuying the Breguet Tradition increased my interest and admiration for the brand even more. Looking at the prices of Breguet watches on the pre-owned market, the brand is completely underrated. And thats not a bad thing, I have to say. It means you can purchase a beautiful gold Breguet watch for a fraction of what a Patek Philippe would set you back. As always, the most important thing is that you like or love what you buy. Dont buy it because it is affordable; buy it because you love it. Likewise, dont buy a watch from brand X or Y just because its from that brand. If you do, you will never truly enjoy wearing it.Breguet Classique ref. 5157I have been looking at the Breguet ref. 5157, which is a dress watch from the Classique collection and has just two hands. I love a clean, simple watch, and this piece never really left my mind after trying one for this review. The Breguet ref. 5157 is very clean, and to some, it might even be a bit too boring. However, I think that with the right strap, you can make the watch a bit more in the now if that makes sense. Inside, theres an automatic movement with a decentralized rotor.Its a joy to look at because the finishing is just beautiful. It has C?tes de Geneve, polished bevels, a guilloche rotor in gold, and beautiful gold-filled engraving on the main plate. Its a 38mm watch, but its very wearable on larger wrists due to the long lugs (44mm from tip to tip). Plus, the Breguet ref. 5157 is only 5.4mm thick. This watch retails for $21,200 for the red and white gold models and $20,000 for the yellow gold model. If you dont care about the box and papers, you can find one of these gems for under $9,000. A complete set will set you back a little over $10K. Here s a nice one in yellow gold for $8,980.JLC Reverso Duoface ref. 270.1.54G - Image: ZironiA Reverso in goldAnother watch I have been exploring is from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Its the famous Reverso model, with which I have a strange relationship. I love how it looks, I appreciate Jaegers movement development, and I think its just an incredibly classy watch. However (and that s a big however), I cant get used to looking at a rectangular watch on my wrist. When I see others wearing it (we have a few Fratello team members who own one), I think it looks great. And when I see it on myself in a mirror, I like it a lot, but directly on the wrist, it causes my brain to short-circuit.Image: ZironiThat said, perhaps I just should give it more time and select the right one for me to give it a try. As weve reported recently, the retail prices for the Reverso jumped up over 40% compared to last year. Funnily, the steel Reverso starts at $7,900, but it s in a very small size that s not suitable for my wrist. The Reverso Classic (42.9mm 25.5mm) Monoface with small seconds starts at $10,100. A gold model, especially with a complication, is easily over $22,000.Image: ZironiOn the pre-owned market, Ive found this beautiful Reverso Duoface in 18K yellow gold for $9,400. You can even find them for less if you dont care about the box and papers. The dials have a lovely guilloche finish, and you can also find versions with a black dial on one side. Explorer 39 ref. 214270 - Image: Watch Exchange CoExplorer 39 (or 40)I ll also include a non-gold watch. My recent visit to the office in Brussels, where they showed us the new Watches and Wonders 2023 models (and a few additional new references) once more, made me think twice about the new Explorer 40. My wife has the 36mm Explorer, which I think is the perfect size for the cleanest-looking sports watch in the catalog. But a 36mm Explorer doesnt work on my wrist, which is a bit surprising as my Datejust 36 and Day-Date 36 work perfectly for me. Perhaps it is because of the President and Jubilee bracelets on those, or it could just be that the black dial makes it look a bit smaller. I dont have the answer to this, but the Explorer 36 simply looks small on my wrist.Image: Watch Exchange Co.Trying the Explorer 40 again in Brussels made me reconsider this watch as a future addition to my collection. With a retail price of $7,650, its cheaper than the pre-owned Explorer 39. The well-known problem, of course, is that buying your model of choice is simply very difficult. The dealers or boutiques often have no stock, and if they do, they re probably not the watches you want. On the pre-owned market, you can find a 36mm Explorer for less than $7K at the moment, but the 39mm version (reference 214270) is all over the place. It goes from below $7K (in Japan) to well over $9K if you want one with a box and papers. The first 39mm models had a handset that was simply too short and had non-luminous Arabic numerals. Later models have a correct handset and luminous Arabic numerals.Image: Watch Exchange Co.My preference would be the latter. Heres one from 2016 with its box and papers for US$9,450 (approximately $8,795). While that s over retail, this is the discontinued 39mm version, and it s in very good condition. There s also the debate of paying more than retail for the new Explorer 40 or starting a waiting game with no clear end date in sight.Breguet Classique 5157 - Image: Sotheby sClosing thoughtsCurrently, the three watches featured above speak to me the most, but I am leaning mainly toward the Breguet ref. 5157. I simply think it is an incredibly beautiful watch with amazing finishing, and it would be a good addition to my modest collection. The Reverso is wonderful too, and JLC has some pretty nice movements. However, I am a bit reluctant about the shape of the watch. I definitely want to like it, but thus far, a rectangular watch has never really worked for me. The Explorer 39, especially the later series, ticks a lot of boxes for me when it comes to a sports watch. But I have many sports watches already, so it would be a very safe bet. I have noticed that my craving for a gold dress watch is rather strong indeed…Which is your favorite of these three? Let us know in the comments below!*Featured image: Watch Exchange Co.