Quick answer
Replica Reverso Tribute Duet watches exist, and most list between $200 and $600. The genuine two-dial Reverso is sold by Jaeger-LeCoultre as the Reverso Classic Duetto. The Tribute line uses the name Duoface for its two-time-zone men's model. Sellers merge the three names, so a search for "Tribute Duet" points at copies of either. Copy quality is highest on the case and lowest on the movement, the diamonds, and the engraving.
Why the Reverso is hard to copy
The case slides on a carriage inside the outer frame. The carriage rides on two rails and locks with a spring tab at the top of the frame. A copy needs the same rail geometry. Low-cost copies ship a shell that does not flip, or a hinge that stays visible when the case sits flat. Turn the genuine watch over. The case sits flush in the frame at both positions, and the frame lines stay parallel.
Case and dimensions
- Reverso Classic Medium Duetto: about 40 mm long, 24.4 mm wide, 10 mm thick.
- Reverso Classic Small Duetto: about 34.2 mm long, 21 mm wide.
- Steel or pink gold. Sapphire crystal on both faces.
- Copies run 1 mm to 2 mm thicker. Some run 2 mm wider at the lug line.
Measure with calipers. A 0.5 mm gap in length is a flag on this model. The carriage tolerance is tight, and the frame is machined, not cast.
Dial, hands, diamonds
The front dial is sunray brushed or guilloche, based on the reference. Numerals are applied on some references and printed on others. Check the stroke width of the 12 and the 6. Copies use a heavier font and a flatter brush.
The reverse dial carries a diamond-set bezel. Jaeger-LeCoultre sets VS-grade stones. Copies use cubic zirconia or commercial-grade stones with visible color. Count the stones and compare with the reference. Stone counts are published by reference number.
Movement
The genuine watch runs a manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre. There is no rotor. Wind it. You hear one click per turn, with no rotor wobble when you tilt the watch. An automatic movement with a visible rotor is not a Reverso Duetto. Calibre numbers differ by reference and by year, so check the number stamped on the movement against the reference on the case.
1000 Hours Control and papers
Jaeger-LeCoultre tests its watches through the 1000 Hours Control protocol. The box holds a certificate that lists the serial number of the watch. Copies ship with a printed card that carries a different number, or no number at all. Compare the certificate number with the engraving on the case.
Caseback, serial, branding
1985 is the year the brand took the double name. Watches sold in the US market before that year read "LeCoultre" alone. A modern Tribute model marked only "LeCoultre" is wrong.
Serial numbers sit on the back of the carriage. Genuine engraving is deep with square-cut ends. Copies use acid etch, which reads shallow and grey and spreads wider at the start and end of each digit.
Strap and buckle
Genuine straps are alligator with a signed pin buckle or deployant clasp. Check the spacing of the stitches and the shape of the buckle tang. Copies use embossed calf leather and an unsigned buckle.
Questions to ask a seller
- What is the reference number, and what is the calibre number inside the case?
- Is the case a manual wind or an automatic?
- Does the certificate number match the case engraving?
- How thick is the case, measured with calipers?
- How many diamonds sit on the reverse bezel?
Bottom line
Price is the first filter. A two-dial Reverso with a diamond bezel does not sell for $300. Case thickness, the carriage rails, the absence of a rotor, and the depth of the serial engraving are the four checks that take less than five minutes.