Icons may evolve over the years, but their essential nature remains constant. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has undergone innumerable iterations over the decades, and what all of them have in common is a balance of mechanical performance and refined construction. It is this balance, translating into ultimate versatility, that has allowed the Reverso to shine since 1931.
• Revised design emphasising a contemporary approach and timeless expertise
• Refined details highlight the calendar indications
• Straps designed by Casa Fagliano reinforce the spirit of craftsmanship
CONTEMPORARY YET TIMELESS
The new Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar brings a subtle touch of modern elegance to its reinterpretation of two iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre complications — the triple calendar and the Duoface. The latter consists in displaying two time zones on different faces of the Reverso, driven by a single movement calibre — and an oblong calibre — which was introduced in 1994.
The Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar preserves the legendary spirit of the original 1931 model whilst incorporating the contemporary aesthetic cues of 21st-century watchmaking. Greater depth of detail, refined execution and subtle textures define this latest release, one model in stainless steel and the other in warm-hued pink gold.
In the ateliers of the Manufacture in Le Sentier, where the in-house expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre is founded on close to two centuries of experience, watchmakers have mastered a panoply of calendar functions. The triple calendar, consisting of day, date and month indications, is an eternal classic that takes prime position on the recto dial of the new Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar. These indications, based on solar time, are balanced with a moon-phase display at 6 o’clock, uniting two aspects of the universe of celestial time on the same dial.
In the steel model, discretion and understated textures take the lead. Alternating surface finishes, such as polished hands set against a grained dial, ensure that all indications remain readable at a glance, even as the tone-on-tone colour palette imparts ultimate refinement. The radiant warmth of the pink-gold model is further amplified by the delicate lines of a sunrayed dial finish, its silvered tones bringing out the contrasting hue of the hands and hour markers.
The verso dial enjoys a completely refreshed look in both steel and pink-gold models of the Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar, characterised by a more select number of surface finishing techniques and a greater sense of space. The traditional Clous de Paris guillochage decorating the outer dial segment gives way to a sunrayed finish, originating from the same point as the hour and minute hands. This expansive radial effect is enhanced by the new hour markers, now set along the exterior periphery of the chemin-de-fer minuterie. At the 6 o’clock position, a day-night indication has been set behind the hour-and-minute counter, creating a subtle way of revealing essential information about the second time-zone .
CRAFTING A LEGACY
The new Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar perpetuates a long-standing partnership between legendary maisons, a story whose first chapter was written in 2011. Casa Fagliano is an Argentina-based and world-renowned artisanal workshop specialising in polo boots, known for its values of traditional craftsmanship and quality — values that will resonate with those who love Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Calf-leather straps in the distinctive style of Casa Fagliano are paired with the Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar, deep blue for the steel model and brown for the pink-gold model. Reflecting the subtle differences in personality between the two models, the steel Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar is equipped with a matching deployant buckle while the pink-gold version comes with a classic pin buckle. Evoking the fast-paced exclusive world of polo, each model also comes with a bi-material strap in leather and fabric, specially selected in hues that suggest the patina of vintage equestrian equipment. Thanks to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s quick-change strap and buckle attachment system, wearers are easily able to switch between strap options for maximum versatility.
The manually wound calibre 853 that drives the Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar is the epitome of the spirit of fine watchmaking at Jaeger-LeCoultre. Entirely designed, produced and assembled in-house, calibre 853 is one of the rare creations known as form movements, dedicated mechanical constructions that are conceived expressly for the contours of a non-round watch and therefore distinguished by their exclusivity. Despite its compact dimensions, allowing it to fit within the classic case proportions of the Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar, calibre 853 preserves all the details and refinement that characterise traditional haute horlogerie, such as chamfered edges, countersunk jewels, mirror-polished screws, and bridges decorated with Geneva Stripes. None of this is visible to the wearer, but it is this internal quest for quality that makes possible the ultimate performance of the watch — a promise fulfilled by the deep patrimony of savoir-faire at Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre.
