10 Best Reverso of All Times
Hiren Kumar Bose chooses the ten outstanding Reversos on the occasion of the model’s 85th anniversary
With its fascinating swivel case, the Reverso truly is an icon of watchmaking with a captivating new interpretation and unparalleled inventiveness. Since 1931, the Reverso watch has consistently reinvented itself, interpreting its offering through classic, sporting, Grande Complication and jewellery versions. Few watches have survived the decades through history, and even fewer to be called exceptional. Despite it’s eight and half decades of history Reverso still continues to stir the passions of collectors and devotees of fine objects.
The Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge
The Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge (46 mmx27.5 mmx7.27 mm) pays tribute to one of the rarest and most sought-after historical Reversos. In the 1930s, the Manufacture offered a broad palette of dial colours. The vast majority of those acquiring a Reverso opted for white, cream-coloured, black or gold-toned dials. The reversible nature of their watch, its instantly recognisable Art deco aesthetic, and its personalised back, all vividly expressed the elegance tinged with originality that such individuals were seeking. The Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge reinterprets the red dials of the 1930s. Equipped with manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822, it features an extremely large yet extremely slender case, and offers an unprecedented blend of passion, classicism and originality.
Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon
A veritable masterpiece showcasing the watchmaking skills and rare crafts (Métiers Rares®) cultivated by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon is a stellar creation. It’s elegant and sophisticated case houses a movement equipped with an unusual Gyrotourbillon®. Vividly embodying the signature horological sophistication of Jaeger-LeCoultre on both faces, it springs a number of surprises including an entirely open-worked back dial. This platinum model is issued in a 75-piece limited series. Equipped with the Jaeger-LeCoultre manually-wound Calibre 179, entirely developed and produced in the Manufacture, this creation reveals an all-new Gyrotourbillon®. Now performing its rotation by means of an external driving mechanism, it appears to be floating in mid-air. This enables a spectacular plunging view of the light, airy architecture. Pared down to their slimmest possible form, the two carriages of this bi-axial flying tourbillon perform an external rotation in one minute and an internal rotation in 12.6 seconds. The gaze can thus linger on the balance-spring hand-crafted in the workshops of the Manufacture. Its hemispherical shape is bound to catch the attention of those who will recognise the additional difficulty and precision involved in such a design. This delicate and exclusive balance-spring is a token of expert technical mastery that is also exercised on the Gyrolab® balance-wheel, distinguished by a non-circular configuration that considerably reduces air friction. Shaped like the Jaeger-LeCoultre anchor symbol, this component represents a decisive breakthrough in terms of the watch’s precision. The dual-time display and the Gyrotourbillon® stand out against the intricate downstrokes and upstrokes of the open-worked movement. This side also carries a day/night indicator in 24-hour mode at 2 o’clock as well as a small seconds hand driven by the tourbillon.
Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau
A minute repeater watch that is driven by an artfully executed Venetian blind covering the dial, that upon being slid back activates the repeater mechanism which in turn sounds the given time counting hours, quarter hours and minutes by the sound of two gongs. That on short is the Reverso Répétition Minute à Rideau, launched to mark its 80th anniversary. The watch reveals its inner values only upon sliding its Venetian blind to one side—the hour and minute hand of the watch travel gingerly over a minute repeater movement, which is widely acknowledged as the pinnacle of Haute Horlogerie. Pushing this blind drives a mechanically refined mechanism that – as if by magic – activates the melody of the minute repeater through a highly complicated mechanism of teeth, gears and a barrel, containing an amazing 270 parts of its own. Upon release, the curtain slips back into its original position – again hiding the face of the watch. With this watch, the Maison brilliantly succeeded in creating a thin, (the repeater mechanism is only 1.85 mm thick), and sophisticated hand-winding movement beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour and delivering a power reserve of 35 hours through its winding barrel.
Reverso à Eclipses
Jaeger-LeCoultre marshaled all its technical and artistic savoir-faire in order to produce the Reverso à éclipses, which contains a ‘secret’ enamel masterpiece in a Grande Reverso case. A timepiece of this kind, which allies precise time measurement with playful visual ingenuity, offers the purest expression imaginable of the watchmaker’s art, which demands a complete mastery of the mysteries of miniaturisation. All it takes is a simple movement of the finger and the curtains of this magical horological theatre part to reveal an enamel miniature. This precious marvel of a timepiece comes in platinum or 18-ct pink gold, and four different themes are available: voyages of discovery, Chinese signs of the zodiac, famous nudes and ‘Grand Feu’. The shutters under the watch glass slide back to reveal a breathtaking enamel miniature. Miraculously, despite being fitted with an ingenious shutter system, the Reverso à éclipses comes in a reversible case of standard thickness. The achievement is all the more astonishing as space has also had to be found in the case to lodge the miniature itself, which consists of several layers of enamel. How to explain this logic-defying feat? Part of the secret is that the Reverso à éclipses contains an ultra-thin movement – the manually wound mechanical Calibre Jaeger-LeCoultre 849, which has been specially developed to fit the Reverso’s legendary rectangular case. The watch’s shutter system and 18-ct-gold dial represent one of the most ingenious and luxurious canvases ever created for the enameller’s art. The choice of subjects has been influenced by a number of factors, not least the desire to find themes germane to the long and illustrious history of this most emblematic of watches. Hence, the great voyages of discovery, nautical scenes and India – the spiritual cradle of the Reverso – all find their place on its dial. In these absorbing images of exotic ports the sky seems almost ablaze with light and colour – an illusion created by the use of a special enamelling process which endows the scenes with depth and intensity, as if they were represented in three dimensions.
Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2
This extraordinary watch’s mechanism overturns long-established principles: for it houses a cylinder-shaped balance-spring. Representing a splendid approach to the quest for absolute precision, the three-dimensional motion of the spherical tourbillon fascinates observers by the exceptional speed of rotation of its two carriages, with the inner one completing a full turn in 18.75 seconds, while the outer one performs a more conventional one-minute turn. The second version of the Gyrotourbillon is distinguished by an essential organ: the presence of a cylinder-shaped balance-spring with end curves. Combined with the specific advantages of the spherical tourbillon, this innovation represents a breakthrough in the field of accuracy and paves the way for a level of rating precision that is simply unprecedented on a timepiece designed to follow its wearer’s arm movements. Embodying a major step forward in the history of mechanical horology, the spherical tourbillion offers wristwatches the same advantages that the classic Breguet tourbillon had brought to pocket-watches. In terms of its horological functions, the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 displays the time by means of two flame-blued steel hands moving over an off-centred sapphire subdial. A fine engraving on the wheel to the left of the dial enables one to read off the time on a 24-hour scale. Meanwhile, the seconds are indicated by a blue index that is actually part of the outer tourbillon carriage. On the back, a hand integrated within the movement indicates the power reserve on a sector- shaped bridge.
Reverso Squadra World Chronograph Polo Fields
For the first time in its history, a Reverso sported a black ceramic case, a concentrated blend of avant-garde technologies, which naturally frames the traditional double face required to display additional functions. The watch meets the needs of elite sportsmen competing on polo fields the world over a chronograph with perfectly readable indications to precisely measure the time of each chukka, as well as a large date display. The back has the world-time function, instantly showing the time in each time zone. Extremely technical, incredibly resistant and ultra-sporty, only such a unique watch could display this extreme design featuring an envelope made up of a swivel case in black ceramics resting on a pink gold or titanium carrier. The watch’s twin-barrel automatic Calibre 753 appears through the transparent city disc that reveals the oscillating weight of this superb 39-jewel movement beating at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. A mechanical masterpiece, it embodies all the genius of a movement capable of displaying the different indications on each of the faces of the reversible case thanks to a gear transmission system that circumvents the oscillating weight. Its two barrels also guarantee a comfortable 65-hour power reserve. The superbly treated black dials are lit up by typically Reverso-style numerals in white, as are the seconds hand and the movement operating indicator so as to enable instant reading of the important information. On the back, the spectacular world-time function indicates the entire set of time zones on a transparent disc subdivided into 24 hours and offering a glimpse of the complexity of the automatic Jaeger- LeCoultre Calibre 753. It is also endowed with a day/night indication. The watch has nonetheless taken the liberty of “replacing” some capitals by the locations of the major polo grounds where aficionados meet up around the world: Palm Beach Florida; Palermo, Argentina; London has in the United Kingdom, Sotogrande in Spain and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Clarity, legibility and high technology are the keynotes of this model with a swivel case that continues to turn heads.
Reverso Rock Setting Sunray
Beautiful, dazzling and brilliantly sophisticated, the new Reverso Rock Setting Sunray approaches life with an open heart. The rays of the rising sun light up the horizon: in the cycle of nature, this watch embodies renewal and the promise of happiness. Confidence is its defining characteristic. Endowed with a mechanical manually-wound movement of exceptional reliability, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822, it never tires of measuring out the succession of the hours and minutes. On the contrary, technical mastery seems to endow it with a fresh assurance. The mysterious rock setting makes mock of matter, entirely concealing the case’s metal beneath stones that shine with an uninterrupted grace. Available in two versions, either entirely paved with baguette-cut diamonds or sumptuously alternating diamonds and yellow sapphires, the gems’ on the watch dance in the light, sparkling with the optimism of the dawn. Available in fine leather or rock-set with fiery baguette-cut diamonds of the first water, the Reverso Sunray’s elegant strap acts as a talisman against the effects of time, quietly but firmly guaranteeing the everlasting bond between the wearer and an exceptional timepiece which transcends material existence to blaze with a pure eternal brilliance.
Reverso Squadra World Chronograph
The most remarkable of the Reverso Squadras so far, the World Chronograph combines chronographic functions on its front face with a universal time – or Worldtime – display on its back. That it also boasts a reversible case in titanium – a material that is tremendously difficult to cut and finish – is quite a feat too: indeed, it’s a first for a Reverso. The high-contrast face is embellished with white figures and subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, respectively for the chronograph, the small seconds and the 24-hour indicator. The large light-on-dark date display occupies a further aperture at 12 o’clock. But it is only when its owner flips the legendary reversible case over that the Reverso Squadra World Chronograph really reveals its originality: for here the self-winding mechanical movement indicates Worldtime. A disc bearing the name of a major city in each of the world’s timezones turns inside a 24-hour collar which means that, at a glance, the wearer can find the current time in any given part of the globe. A transparent disc placed over the cities’ names serves as a day/night indicator. The audacious construction of the movement allows for the centralisation of energy and its transmission to the watch’s second face. The Reverso Squadra World Chronograph is available in a limited edition of 1,500,
Reverso Grande Complication À Triptyque
Displaying three dimensions of time on three faces, the Reverso grande complication à triptyque was a world first, when launched, bringing together civil, sidereal and perpetual time in the legendary reversible case. But the model’s achievements go beyond this: its manually wound mechanical movement offers some unique subtleties of construction as well as extraordinary horological complications. On its front face, it has a tourbillon endowed with an ellipse isometric escapement, a masterpiece of design and execution whose transmission system does away with the traditional Swiss pallet. Inspired by marine escapements, it offers peerless precision. Its back face features a zodiacal calendar with an astronomical chart, an equation of time and sunrise and sunset times. The watch’s third face is remarkable for its unique location: a perpetual calendar in the Reverso carriage. A highly original patented mechanism makes it possible to transmit energy from the movement to the carriage. In total, the timepiece boasts 18 complications. No fewer than six patents protect the various constituent mechanisms, from the tourbillion connected with the detached escapement to the ingenious lever movement that connects case and carriage. The excellence of this kind is always a rarity.
Reverso Neva
Christened after the Neva River, which glides past the wintry palaces of St Petersburg and also across the caseback of the Reverso, the creators of this diamond-covered Jaeger-LeCoultre watch (33mm X 20.5mmx8.5mm) wanted to evoke the way sunshine glistens on snow. Instead of creating rows of uniform gems perched in gold claws, snow-set diamonds are selected from different-sized stones – from tiny 0.05mm to 1.6mm diamonds – and then set into a metal structure with hollowed-out areas that match the size of the stone. One by one, and in a position that will maximise its fire, each diamond is settled into position, up close to its neighbour, to reveal as little metal as possible. Even looking at these diamond watches under a loupe makes it practically impossible to see the setting. Like individual snowflakes, snow-setting ensures that no two watches can ever be the same since the setting depends entirely on a master gem setters creativity and personal decision. The watch’s rectangular case is made of 18-ct white gold and is set with diamonds on the top and bottom of the case carriage, and on the reverse (flip-over) side of the watch case. The dial is silver and continues with the animal-striped pattern found on the watch’s case. The dial simply displays the hours and minutes indication to keep the focus on the watch’s glamorous aesthetic. The case back is solid and the strap is made of black satin with a deployment clasp.
