Short answer

There is no Reverso Tribute Grande Date in the current Jaeger-LeCoultre catalog. JLC sells the Reverso Tribute line. JLC also sold a separate Reverso Grande Date, ref. 240.8.18, from about 2004 to 2010. Chinese sellers join both names. A replica sold under this name copies one of three watches: the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, the Reverso Tribute Duoface, or the older Grande Date. Most are the first two with a "grande date" label added for search traffic.

What the genuine watches are

  • Reverso Tribute Small Seconds: 45.6 x 27.4 mm steel case, hand wound caliber 822, 42 hour reserve, small seconds at 6.
  • Reverso Tribute Duoface: 47 x 28.3 mm, caliber 854A/2, second time zone on the reverse face.
  • Reverso Grande Date: hand wound caliber 875, two barrels, 8 day reserve, big date at 12, small seconds and power reserve on the front.

Only the third watch carries a real big date. That point matters. A listing that shows a Duoface back and calls the watch a Grande Date has a naming error, not a model.

Replica supply

Factories that build JLC copies run at lower volume than Rolex builders. Output is thin. Two or three workshops make Reverso cases. Other sellers resell the same stock under different names.

Case sizes land within about 0.5 mm of the genuine numbers. Case shape is the easy part. The flip mechanism is not. A good copy turns with light pressure and locks with a firm click. A poor one has hinge play you can feel before the watch leaves the box.

Movements you will find

  • Seagull ST17 or ST21, hand wound, plain finish.
  • Miyota 9015, automatic, thin enough for the Reverso case.
  • Decorated automatic with JLC style bridges and a stamped caliber number.
  • Quartz, at the bottom of the price range.

None of these is an 8 day movement. A listing that claims an 8 day reserve is marketing copy. Test the reserve yourself. Wind it full, set it down, and read the time after 48 hours.

The date display

A big date needs two discs on the same plane that jump together at midnight. That costs money to build. Most replicas use one disc with printed numerals. Watch the window at 23:58. If the two numbers sit at different heights, the watch has a real big date. If one number fills the window, it does not.

Dial and case checks

  • Applied indexes with sharp edges and no glue at the base.
  • "Jaeger-LeCoultre" print with even stroke width and clean serifs.
  • Small seconds hand that reaches the track and sits straight.
  • Case flank brushed on the sides, polished on the bezel chamfer.
  • Caseback engraving with depth. Laser etching looks flat.

Price ranges

Mechanical Reverso copies sell from about $180 to $450. Quartz versions run under $100. Above $500 you pay for a decorated movement, not for better case work. Used genuine Reverso Grande Date watches list in the mid four figures USD.

Before you pay

  1. Ask for a video of the flip, not photos.
  2. Ask for a photo of the date window at 23:58.
  3. Ask for a timegrapher reading. A rate within 15 seconds per day is normal at this price.
  4. Confirm the case size in millimeters with a caliper photo.

Legal note

Replicas are counterfeits. Import into the US is prohibited under 19 U.S.C. 1526. CBP seizes shipments. Sale of counterfeit goods is a federal crime. The buyer holds the loss when a parcel is stopped.