Another year around the Sun; another year of ethereal, complex Reverso models as well as several handsome new iterations of the Reverso Tribute. Let’s jump right in.
The Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 represents the pinnacle of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expertise, blending technical mastery with exquisite craftsmanship. Now reinterpreted in 18-carat white gold, this new limited edition of ten pieces highlights the brand’s dedication to both horological innovation and artistic expression.
The Reverso’s iconic rectangular case, designed originally in 1931 for the rigours of polo, retains its signature Art Deco lines and reversible case mechanism. Crafted entirely in 18-carat white gold, this iteration measures 51.1 x 31 mm with a thickness of 13.63 mm (reasonable when one considers just how much goes on in this watch), balancing presence with wearability. The inside of the cradle is adorned with an intricate sunray engraving that radiates from a polished blue lacquer disc, enhancing the sense of depth on this ethereal watch. The strong, linear aesthetics are further emphasised by the hallmark gadroons above and below the dial, keeping the ultimate ‘Reverso’ blueprint.
The dual-sided Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 offers two distinct expressions of time. The front dial features a deep blue lacquered surface with a geometric lattice pattern in white gold – a nod to the Art Deco origins of the Reverso. Meanwhile, the precise hand-applied lacquer work, polished to perfection, showcases the craftsmanship of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s artisans. On the reverse, a skeletonised hour-minute ring and movement bridges are accentuated with blue lacquer, creating a striking contrast against the finely micro-blasted components. This dial seamlessly integrates laser-cut skeletonisation with traditional hand-finishing techniques, highlighting the maison’s dedication to artistry and innovation.
At the heart of the timepiece lies the manually wound calibre 179, featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre’s fourth-generation Gyrotourbillon; a multi-axis marvel engineered specifically for the Reverso, it’s come to define the manufacture’s great horological expertise. The ultra-light titanium cage and peripheral carriage rotate on different axes at varying speeds, enhancing precision. Meanwhile, the tourbillon’s floating effect, achieved through a ring of ball bearings instead of a conventional bridge, is further amplified by a polished blue lacquer disc beneath the mechanism, reflecting light to create an illusion of suspension. As a Duoface movement, Calibre 179 not only displays hours and minutes on both dials but also integrates a second time zone with a 24-hour indicator on the reverse. With a 40-hour power reserve, it exemplifies Jaeger-LeCoultre’s commitment to mechanical ingenuity, balancing technical complexity with aesthetic refinement.
The Reverso Tribute is being treated to a stunning array of new models – and the most exciting one (in my humble opinion) is not actually an overly complicated piece, but rather the most attractive, not least due to its precious metal bracelet. This is the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in 18-carat pink gold, accompanied by a very handsome matching Milanese bracelet that makes this 45.6 x 27.4 mm model the perfect unisex edition, despite its larger size.
Alongside its gold-coloured dial with chic grained finish, which takes over 30 steps to create, the bracelet really takes central stage, making it a good place to start. The Milanese link is a dense metal weave made from intertwined metal threads, and required no less than 16 metres of said material. Its fabric-like construction, highly wearable and flexible, is known as ‘pezza’, and is exceptionally smooth and durable thanks to the lack of pins. The bracelet secures to the wrist via an integrated sliding clasp.
While one side of this gorgeous new watch offers small seconds at 6 o’clock alongside pink-gold hour markers and hands, drawing inspiration from 1931 design codes, the other side of the case remains blank, leaving it open for an inscription – hence the name ‘Monoface’.
Powering the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds is the manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 822. Offering 42 hours of power reserve, this sturdy movement beats at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vph).
Another member of the Reverso Tribute family is also gaining two new additions: the Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds. These two new steel iterations in pure black or vivid blue with sunray finishing, sporting a redesigned opaline reverse dial, pay homage to the coloured dials introduced on early Reverso models in the 1930s. The updated reverse sides look more contemporary than before, feature two time zones across two dials, as well as a 24-hour day/night display. Elongated indices, which are double-lined, echo the signature gadroons.
Powering the watches is the hand-wound calibre 854, offering as mentioned hours, minutes, small seconds, a second time zone and 24-hour display, alongside a 42-hour power reserve. Fairly large in size, the watch cases have dimensions of 47 x 28.3 mm, and are presented on smart calf leather straps with double folding clasps.
Over to another timepiece with a real wow factor, we have the Reverso Tribute Geographic, featuring an all-new movement, the calibre 834. This watch presents the classic travel time complication on a new steel or pink-gold model, with the complication appearing on the reverse.
The watch also features a patented Grande Date. In order to create it, engineers at the manufacture came up with a two-disc system on one single plane. With its unusual shape, small teeth and notches, the Grande Date offers up a very minimal, purist look.
More importantly, the world time: this complication has long been a specialty at JLC, ever since the introduction of the Memovox World Time was launched in 1958. This latest calibre is all about readability and usability: a hidden button at the top off the case, coming in the form of a tactile pusher, allows the wearer to correct the indication with a 1-hour jump.
Two versions of the new watch are available: one in pink gold, one in steel. Both versions are unusual in the sense that the city names sit on the outside of the indication and are laser engraved. Meanwhile, the map on the globe is polished, while the lacquer in either blue or black is applied by hand to the polished case. In total, no fewer than 141 hollows had to be hand-filled for the world map decoration. Meanwhile, the other side of the lacquered sunray dials appear in either blue or chocolate brown.
As mentioned, the novel calibre powering these watches is the impressive calibre 834. It has a power reserve of 42 hours, while offering hours, minutes, large date, and, of course, world time. The watches are rounded off with blue or golden calf leather straps.
Let’s take the complications up another notch by looking at the new and improved Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, housing the calibre 953, aka a fully integrated movement with no fewer than seven patented inventions. Before we take a closer look, we can touch upon the ‘Recto’ front dial, which stuns with its mesmerising barley-seed hand guilloche dial in blue translucent enamel, created by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Metiers Rares atelier. The guilloche requires around four hours of work, while the enamel requires eight hours.
The open-worked calibre itself also showcases astonishing levels of decoration, including polishing, brushing, graining, blue lacquering, and micro-blasting. As for its innovations: the calibre 952 lays focus upon high quality chiming, thus featuring patents such as trebuchet hammers, crystal gongs, and silent-interval elimination. A bridge spans the entire breadth of the movement, supporting the hammers and matching to the colour of the front ‘Recto’ dial.
Last but not least, one more ethereal model: the Reverso Tribute Nonantieme Ename, a limited edition of 90 pieces. Having first appeared back in 2021, this latest version exudes elegance with a pink-gold case and its two dials in elegant grey or sparkling gold starry sky, with 70 pink-gold stars with night-blue enamel created in the Metiers Rares. A night/day indicator sits in the centre of the dial, featuring a guilloche pattern. The internal starry sky in the centre is lacquered and transferred.
Over on the front dial in opaline grey, three complications are at play: the small seconds, a Grande Date, and the attractive moonphase. Overall, these complications lead to the calibre having only 243 components – quite impressive given the very many qualities in this 49 mm x 29.9 mm watch. The manual-winding movement within has a power reserve of 42 hours, and the watch comes on a smart black alligator strap.
