Batman’s history with the Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) Reverso spans decades. Imagine if you were Bruce Wayne, one of the richest men on Earth. You attend banquets and balls, drink expensive champagne and keep company with other billionaires. However, in secret, you dress in a dark, tight outfit, wear a mask and cape imitating a flying, nocturnal mammal, and spend your nights searching for and fighting evil. What watch would you choose to wear?
The Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) Reverso
The Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) Reverso’s most famous attribute is that the timepiece is reversible. That is, the watch flips over on its mount, so the protective back is facing outwards. It was invented in the early 1900s for British Polo players in India, whose watches kept getting smashed during the games. The timepiece is a not-so-subtle mirror of the duality and juxtaposition of Bruce Wayne and Batman. A glamorous, popular public figure by day, and a secret, masked superhero by night, constantly defending himself. Like the watch, Bruce Wayne puts on a high-tech protective layer and hides his face behind a mask before diving into dangerous situations. GQ magazine elaborates on this extensively.
Batman Forever (1995) – The Reverso Grand Taille ref. 270162
Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer in 1995, introduced the audience to what would become the quintessential Batman timepiece for a few decades: the Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) Reverso Grand Taille.
In the Grand Taille model, the reverse is made of solid steel. It is a manual-wind watch, with a silver dial on a 26mm x 42mm case. The version of the Grande Taille featured in the movie is much bigger than the original. It was developed in 1991 to accommodate the recent taste for bigger watches.
The Batman Forever limited edition JLC Reverso ref. 270.8.62
To mark the success of Batman Forever, and celebrate their first feature on the superhero’s wrist, JLC released a super exclusive Reverso. It is officially called “The Jaeger LeCoultre Batman Forever Reverso. ” The Batman: Forever bat-symbol is colored black on the protective side, with “Forever” in white capitals through the logo. Only 35 were released – 30 in steel and just five (!) in 18 carat yellow gold. The whereabouts of most of them are unknown, with only the first one staying in JLC’s permanent collection, and showcased at various watch events throughout the year.
Batman Begins (2005) – but the JLC Trend Continues
Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale continued the Batman and Jaeger LeCoultre relationship when they teamed up ten years later as the director and lead actor for “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” starting with Batman Begins. In this movie, as well as its 2008 sequel The Dark Knight, (which was lauded as a cinematic masterpiece and instant classic, with many deeming it the best superhero movie ever made), Bruce Wayne is still wearing the same symbolic JLC Reverso Grande Taille.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – The Reverso Grande Date ref. 240.8.15
The Dark Knight Rises was the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy.” However, in this movie, Batman is wearing a Reverso Grande Date ref. 240.8.15, not a Taille. While similar to the Taille, this version includes a double digit split window date display at the seven o’clock position. Furthermore, while originally designed to protect the dial, in this case the reverse is transparent to reveal the movement.
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If Batman wears a JLC, why is Batman now associated with Rolex?
The JLC Reverso was worn in four Batman movies between 1995 and 2012. However, it didn’t take long for Rolex to usurp the Batman name. Although it has nothing to do with the superhero or the movie series, the 2013 model of the GMT Master-II, ref. 116710BLNR was quickly nicknamed “the Batman” after its release. Its two toned bezels in black and blue reminded watch enthusiasts of the colorways from Batman’s old comic strips. The fact that the bezel was the first two-toned one created in ceramic only added to the draw. “The Batman” Rolex became an overnight success.
Iron Man taking over the JLC Legacy
While Rolex may have unofficially taken over the Batman legacy, Jaeger-LeCoultre is still in good hands with the one superhero wealthier than Bruce Wayne: Tony Stark, a.k.a., Iron Man. The first Iron Man movie in 2008 featured a Bvlgari watch on Stark’s wrist. However, the Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT, made in partnership with Aston Martin, was Iron Man’s watch of choice in the two sequels from 2010 and 2013. Despite both these superheroes being multi-billionaires, and therefore able to afford the most expensive watches in existence, they both opted for a JLC timepiece, which speaks to the quality and legacy of the classic brand.
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