In all that fuss about Team GB doing rather well in The Olympics, some of you may have not noticed the glaring omission of one particular sport.
This is, of course, Real Tennis.
This is rather galling for us JLC-loving WISes, simply because Jaeger le Coultre make a watch that could have been designed for the game. The Jaeger le Coultre’s Reverso Classic.
Real Tennis was last an Olympic sport in 1908, under its French name of “Jeu de Paume” (Game of the Hand - and stop sniggering at the back). The remarkable Jay Gould (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gould_II) took gold for the USA at Queen’s Club.
The modern game is unchanged (bar a tricksy minor rule amendment on first services), although a great deal faster with more forcing (whack-it-like-you-mean-it). Here’s the current world champion, Rob Fahey, showing how it’s done:
[http://youtu.be/wYvbHCMBxuU]
The Jaeger le Coultre Classic is, of course, the perfect real tennis watch. Designed for the rather more arriviste game of Polo, the Reverso is rather better suited to RT.
As you can see here, RT involves a heavy, broad-strung wooden racket and a ball that’s a cross between a cricket and a tennis ball. Balls are still hand-made by the court professional - a complicated, difficult task. The core of the ball is shredded cork bound round with tape. The tape is then pulled into shape within a circling lattice of string, wound many times around in a geometric pattern. Finally, the pro hand-stitches two pieces of Melton cloth to make the yellow cover you see in the picture. Although Modern lawn tennis balls are not stitched, they still feature the wavy pattern made by the two pieces of Melton cloth joining.
Three things make the JLC Reverso the ideal watch for RT.
First, it has a robust, hand-wound movement. This means there is no oscillating winding weight to come under strain as the player moves around the court.
Second, the Classic is a small watch with a low wrist profile. Handy for RT incompetents like me, flailing around with their rackets. A Deep Sea, for example, would have a marked slowing effect on a player and its high wrist-profile would make racket damage likely. And RT rackets are expensive.
Finally, the Reverso, as its name suggest, is able to present its back to the world, protecting the crystal and hands from harm:
So, perhaps we can persuade the IOC to put RT back on the programme for the Rio Olympics. Maybe JLC could even add a bit of weight as sponsors? It’s better than seeing people wearing those vulgar Richard Mille things in the 200 metres...
Great post - informative and interesting, however I would venture to suggest that wearing a Reverso for real tenis would end in tears. Might I suggest something more suited (albeit pictured here in a different setting - but one that is no more/less inappaorpriate for the JLC).....
Interesting post and nice watch. Agreed with the g, sport, leather straps and expensive watch not my ideal combo - rather cheap, rubber and scratchproof better suits my game!
I nominate Rolex 5513. The Reverso is awesome, though.
Excellent post and a rather lovely watch. I have nothing against the sport of real tennis and in fact prefer it in some ways over the lawn tennis version but I am of the opinion that tennis in the Olympics is a nonsense, along with bmx, football, hockey, etc, so no support from this quarter about having it reinstated. Wearing a JLC whilst playing has a certain jaunty, carefree charm to it, rather like taking one of their dive pieces down to 300m, but I would be scared crapless! I agree on wearing a hand wound during sports though. I am on the lookout for a suitable hand wound piece to accompany me on the tennis court and golf course although I would draw the line at wearing a watch in the gym. 60kg dumbells and crystals don't mix very well!
Originally Posted by TheDude
Now that's rather gorgeous! But wouldn't it take a lump out of your racket if you whacked it? :D
Diving to 300m and using 60kg dumbells? You must be Chuck Norris. AICM £5!
Fwiw, I dive (but not as deep), gym (with lighter dumbells) road (not in the Tour de France) and mountain bike (but not down the side of the Matterhorn) wearing the same watch:
Those are pretty damn robust. My Sub went everywhere with me, did everything (including tennis) and never gave me a moment's worry.
Doesn't look like you dress smart enough in Real Tennis to be wearing a belt. ;0)
So this belt buckle watch would have to be kept for the round of golf.
Similar thinking behind this one to your lovely Reverso but goes that step further by removing the watch from the wrist and thus the potential damage from the golf swing and consequent shock as the ball is struck.
Ian
I have used a GmT master for rubbing around fields firing rifles and carrying fake casualties. I've been for the odd run with a submariner, but only becausenive forgotten to swap to my Riseman.
The sub will do everything, but it's a risk, if you can do more than 2k worth of damage to a watch by falling over it may make more sense to use a plastic one!
Each to his own though.
- - - Updated - - -
I have used a GmT master for rubbing around fields firing rifles and carrying fake casualties. I've been for the odd run with a submariner, but only becausenive forgotten to swap to my Riseman.
The sub will do everything, but it's a risk, if you can do more than 2k worth of damage to a watch by falling over it may make more sense to use a plastic one!
Each to his own though.
Lovely Reverso, what's the lug to lug length in mm?
Think it's 39mm x 23mm, so it's small. In fact, when you first see it you wonder if it's a ladies' watch. But it's odd how well it wears - there's no sense of being too small on your wrist. At least, not on mine!
And I'm always in a bit of a quandry about the whole 'expensive watch' thing, the idea that because a watch is expensive it needs a lot of looking after. I wrote about it a while ago: http://mmcmusings.com/2011/05/22/tic...who-owns-whom/
Last edited by MMC; 28th August 2012 at 11:39.
My flying watch is a Casio GW3500 its perfect as its tough as nails and has all the features for a global jet jockey like Me -).
I played Wii boxing once and at the time I was wearing my Reverso. It wouldn't stay in the closed fixed position... the watch part would come loose.
That would be my fear. Wearing that type of watch during any sport.
Fascinating post OP, but I feel compelled to wear a beater (Riseman in my case) when doing anything more physically active than reading. Of course before I was struck down by WISdom I wore the same watch for everything without the slightest problem...
That's it, isn't it? It was all so simple back then. :D
Interesting thread. I've often wondered why many watches labelled as 'sports watch' don't have a chronograph.
Thank you kindly, sir. It's a '78 Maxi-dial, possibly my "coolest" watch, if there could be such a thing.
Beautiful view from your window. And that IWC of yours is stunning.
'Cos if you're as crap as I am, how fast you are is (a) embarrassing and (b) doesn't matter.
Very nice Mark!
I like the display backs but that defeats the object really!!
I missed you by seconds last week, i'd just gone from the road to my lawn and heard a terrible racket....
I'll flag you down for a look at this!
A terrible racket? Yup, that'll be the Ural. ;-) Be good to catch up!
That is bonkers. Where can I get one? :-)Doesn't look like you dress smart enough in Real Tennis to be wearing a belt. ;0)
So this belt buckle watch would have to be kept for the round of golf.
For several years I played squash 2 or 3 times a week wearing an RAF Hamilton chronograph, I just put a sweatband over the top and it suffered no ill effects.
So beautiful and cool!Doesn't look like you dress smart enough in Real Tennis to be wearing a belt. ;0)
So this belt buckle watch would have to be kept for the round of golf.
Similar thinking behind this one to your lovely Reverso but goes that step further by removing the watch from the wrist and thus the potential damage from the golf swing and consequent shock as the ball is struck.
Ian
With apologies to Mark for the thread hijack.
Thank you.
I did a full write up on mine here http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ight=cyma+golf
Found mine in a little antique shop down here.
Just seen a similar one on Chrono24
http://www.chrono24.com/en/all/tavan...ch%2Findex.htm
Never sure of the prices on there. I'd be very happy if mine was worth that.
Absolutely fine - fascinating stuff!
That would not be practical for me.
Gut overhang would hinder legibility.
Think of it as organic shock protection!Gut overhang would hinder legibility.
I love sport watches and even I love to wear sporty dresses..
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