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Jaeger-LeCoultre Duoface Small Seconds 28.3mm Stainless Steel
Ref. Q3988482
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Stepping up in Jaeger-LeCoultre's range
The Reverso was drawn up in 1931 for polo players who needed to protect a dress watch during a match — the swivelling case that gave it its name was an engineering solution to a practical problem. Nine decades on, the Duoface builds on that same chassis to address a different one: two time zones carried in a case slim enough for a tailored sleeve, with each dial telling a distinct story rather than duplicating the other. The blue lacquer recto reads like a proper dress dial — sunray-brushed, deep, with applied indices and a small seconds subdial sitting low on the chapter ring. Flip the case and the verso shifts register entirely: a silver-grey Clous de Paris guilloché texture with a 24-hour indicator to distinguish day from night at the second zone. At 28.3mm the rectangular case is modest in footprint, but 47mm lug to lug means it lies along the wrist rather than sitting above it, following the natural curve of the arm. The strap itself came from Casa Fagliano, the Argentine bootmaker associated with polo since the sport's Buenos Aires heyday — a detail that closes the circle back to 1931 without being ornamental about it. The calibre 854A passes through JLC's own 1000 Hours Control regime, a durability and precision protocol that runs considerably beyond standard chronometric certification. The hands carry no lume, relying instead on their high polish to catch ambient light — a choice that makes sense on a watch worn to dinner but worth knowing before you take it somewhere dark.
- Reference
- Q3988482
- Brand
- Jaeger-LeCoultre
- Collection
- ReversoCase Size: 28
- Case size
- 28.3mm
- Case thickness
- 10.3mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- 854A
- Functions
- GMT, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
Learn more about Jaeger-LeCoultre
Antoine LeCoultre opened a workshop in Le Sentier in 1833 and set about solving a problem nobody else had: precise measurement. His Millionomètre of 1844 was the first instrument capable of measuring to a micron, and it let the Vallée de Joux move from skilled approximation to genuine precision.
The house became the movement supplier to the industry. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and Audemars Piguet all built watches on LeCoultre ébauches, and the manufacture has produced well over a thousand distinct calibres — an output no other house approaches. The partnership with the Parisian retailer Edmond Jaeger, formalised in the company name in 1937, gave it the Jaeger-LeCoultre it still carries.
Two products define it in the public mind. The Reverso of 1931 was designed so British Army officers in India could flip the case and protect the crystal during polo; the reversible case became one of the few genuinely original watch designs of the century. The Atmos clock, developed from 1928, runs on atmospheric temperature variation and needs no winding at all.
The Duoplan and the calibre 101 — still the smallest mechanical movement in series production, introduced in 1929 — sit alongside the gyrotourbillons and minute repeaters that keep the manufacture at the technical front.
Richemont has owned the house since 2000.
- 1833
- Antoine LeCoultre founds his workshop in Le Sentier.
- 1844
- The Millionomètre measures to the micron for the first time.
- 1929
- Calibre 101, the smallest mechanical movement, is introduced.
- 1931
- The Reverso launches with its flip case.
- 1937
- The Jaeger-LeCoultre name is formalised.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,797), Watches Under 37mm (1,496), Leather Strap Watches (918), Blue Dial Watches (753), Dress Watches (446) and Rectangular & Square Watches (357).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 28.3mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £10,550, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £10,550 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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