Hi r/watches, newbie collector (23M) here. Been in the watch collecting space for a decent amount of time now collecting lower-end watches (Casios, Seikos etc.) and on my latest overseas trip, made a big mistake.
See the cruise I was on for holiday this time had a watch shop on-board and one of the biggest selling points on the ship was the tax-free prices as well as further discounts. The piece that immediately caught my eye and pulled me in was one that I had admired from afar for a long time; the JLC Reverso.
Seeing such an iconic piece of horology for such a reasonable price had my impulses flaring up and as I was in the middle of the ocean with no internet and no way to research more on the specific reference, I sprung on the deal and purchased the piece. Trying on the piece at the boutique, I did notice that the strap was tight but I brushed it off as an issue that could be fixed with an aftermarket strap.
Coming back to land and scouring the market for straps that could fit my reference, I stumbled across my exact reference, REF. Q2618540 on the official JLC store and realised that it was under the Women’s category. The worst part was that it had a 15mm lug width which made strap hunting really really hard.
Since then, I’ve called the local JLC boutique and inquired about an exchange or return but got denied as the piece was not purchased in-house. The sales rep did, however, assure me that the piece was more unisex than women’s exclusively.
What would you guys do in this scenario? It was my first luxury purchase so this has definitely soured the experience for me but to be honest, the small sleek silhouette does fit me decently well. Should I sell the watch and buy a male reference or do I embrace unisexuality and rock that androgynous look? Please help!
Reversos are awesome! You made a great watch purchase, especially if it looks good on your wrist. All watches are unisex, especially if you wear it confidently.
The original reverses were in fact all quite small. Google the Don Draper reverso from Mad Men and tell me he doesn’t look like an absolute boss with a small watch.
Pure chuff. This is no satire?
I would choose the woman JLC in a heartbeat, the other looks bulky for my taste. I am huge on vintage so I’m probably also used to the smaller dials anw
Have you tried pairing it with a nice color-matched lipstick?
If you tried it on and it looked good then it is now a unisex watch. It is much better to wear a smaller watch that fitd than an oversized “manly” watch that hangs over the side of your wrist.
I understand what you mean and would be thinking likewise if I were in the same position, it’s not as easy a decision as some might think even. Have a think about long term ownership though. I do think the reverso is a unisex price though. Can we see a picture?
change the strap and enjoy it man
It’s all in your head. A watch size proportional to your wrist will look way better than something too big, which instead would be similar to “borrowing dad’s suit jacket to prom”.
That voice is in your head because the silly industry puts it there. We’re so used to seeing a men’s and a women’s category at the top of every website. Then, brands like Tag go and ruin everything by making a smaller Aquaracer and a smaller Carrera and adding diamonds and pastel colors. Maybe a guy with smaller wrists wants to rock a blue 36mm Aquaracer or a 36mm Carrera that doesn’t have rose gold indices and a pink dial.
I’m not bitter.
Enjoy the JLC, my friend. Square and rectangular watches often wear a bit bigger than their dimensions imply. I wouldn’t go by what ref it is. Just if it fits or not. It’s a dressy and classy watch. There is nothing wrong with rocking a smaller size.
What size are just wrists? If they are on the smaller side and you like how it looks/fits then who cares. It looks like the men’s version, just smaller.
The strap size will limit you to having a custom one made though.
How much was it, if you don’t mind me asking?
Mate, this is 2023, just change your gender whenever you wear it…
Well it is a Reverso.
I looked it up to expect some bracelet kind of watch that would be mistaken as bangle than a watch, but what the hell, that ref ain’t no Women’s watch! This is just a smaller watch (by today standard). Congrats on your purchase!
Didn’t Muhammad Ali wear a Cartier tank? You’re fiiiine bro
All watches are unisex . Its not like you’re wearing a dress, its an accessory.
Almost no one is going to notice your watch anyway. The only thing that matters is whether you like it or not, seeing as you liked it on the boat you should still like it now.
The watch itself looks fine, but at 15 mm lug width I imagine it’s quite small. If you have wrists that it aesthetically looks good on then keep it, but chances are it actually looks quite small if you have average sized wrists.
Since you bought it on a cruise, you can’t really return it from what I can tell. You can always resell and take a hit, and learn the hard way that you shouldn’t trust salespeople. In that situation especially, where returns are impossible, they are motivated to sell you whatever they can’t move.
Also next time don’t call it a women’s watch, Reddit will bend over backwards to tell you that men can wear women’s watches (lol). Next time say “is this watch too small” with a wrist shot and leave out the fact that it’s a women’s watch and people will give you an honest, non-ideologically tainted answer.
