The Reverso has proven to be a remarkably versatile platform from Jaeger-LeCoultre, particularly in modern guise as it taps into the core strengths of the design which, as ageless as it seems, is 90 years young this year. The Reverso has an interesting and varied history, even with its near 30 year gap in production, and it’s a watch that serves as the face of the modern watchmaker, which is saying a lot considering just how prolific Jaeger-LeCoultre is known to be. Last year, we saw the latest addition to the Revero Tribute range, with a pair of new chronograph references which celebrated the first appearance of the complication within the collection back in 1996. This week, we’re getting a new addition to the Reverso Tribute Chronograph range with a new rendition rendered in 18k pink gold featuring a stunning dial side unlike anything that’s come before in the collection.
The Reverso is an art deco icon, with roots in the early 1930s squarely in the prime of the style’s influence across Europe and the United States. By this period, art deco was as much a lifestyle as anything, and the Reverso represented a marriage of the design motifs and the luxury mindset, offering a decadent take on the flourishing wrist watch trend. Production of the Reverso would not last through the ‘40s, making it a capsule of a specific era in time, unburdened by evolution of any kind. When Jaeger-LeCoultre was convinced to bring the watch back by the ‘70s, they would, in large part, remain true to its roots. This has allowed the Reverso to exist today with the same unique identity first put forth in the ‘30s. The Tribute moniker is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s effort to preserve this identity.
The latest Reverso to bear the Tribute name is this chronograph in pink gold. Each side of the watch is distinct, with the chronograph following a similar design first seen last year when the watch was introduced. The other side is where things get more interesting, however. Yes, it’s a chronograph, but the time only dial is just as captivating. This is thanks to the use of a pink gold dial that’s been laser engraved with fine horizontal lines. It’s a look we haven’t seen on the Reverso before, even though it feels entirely natural to the design as a whole. It’s a look I’d love to see brought into the standard Tribute reference, as it seems to reinforce the ideals under which the watch was first designed.
Not to be outdone, the reverse side displaying the chronograph has its own fireworks. Jaeger-LeCoultre is using their caliber 860 here, and the reverse dial reveals its inner workings without compromise to the dial itself, which gets vertical Geneva striping. This dial also gets the time and date, and is joined by a central timing hand, which works in conjunction with the 30 minute retrograde time situated at the bottom of the dial. The movement is hand wound, and allows for a total case thickness of just over 11mm. Pretty impressive stuff considering the dual displays and moving in opposite directions.
This latest and most decadent Reverso Tribute Chronograph will be limited to 250 examples, and is priced at $66,000. Jaeger-LeCoultre
