Adding a Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso to a watch collection is nothing but normal if it isn’t the first timepiece one acquire. This year, to celebrate its 85th birthday JLC decided to pay tribute to the iconic timepiece that has been mythical for years !
Jaeger-LeCoultre loves to push the boundaries of creative imagination and infuse expertise with boldness. As such, the Reverso watch embodies this quest for the unexpected. A natural, intuitive touch swivels the case to disclose unsuspected treasures.
On this iconic model, the back is the front, serving as the ideal place for personalization by showcasing Rare Crafts such as engraving, gemsetting or enamelling in order to meet the whole spectrum of desires from the simplest to the most sophisticated. Unveiled just before the beginning of SIHH 2016, there is on the Reverso Duetto and Duo models, a second dial that becomes a territory in which to express the horological expertise of Jaeger-Lecoultre and its unbridled creativity.
Since 1931, the year the Reverso watch was created, its emotional impact has remained as powerful as ever. This undisputed style icon elicits the same wonderment decade after decade. The strength of its pure, almost discreet lines makes the Reverso timepiece the epitome of elegance.
“To mark its 85th birthday, we wished to offer a new vision of the Reverso, so that each individual can immediately recognize the collection that matches their own character and the model destined to become theirs. It was about respectfully evolving this legendary watch while bearing certain key prerequisites in mind: preserving the nature of this exceptional watch that is a concentrated blend of the wealth of talent within our Manufacture, as well as safeguarding its elegance and its contemporary spirit; clarifying the collections by instating three stylistic expressions – Reverso Classic, Reverso Tribute and Reverso One – with their own distinct worlds and aspirations. Such was our mission, of which we are now delighted and proud to unveil the results.” Daniel Riedo, CEO Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Reverso Classic Collection
The Reverso Classic watch has acquired iconic status that sets it apart while exuding a reassuringly seductive appeal. Its Art Deco inspiration, its geometrical case, its gadroons, its straight Arabic numerals, along with its minute track, all make light of passing years and fleeting fashions. Immune from whims and impervious to fluctuations, the Reverso Classic timepiece draws its strength from the ideal relative proportions of the length and width of its case, corresponding to the Golden Ratio.
More than mere accessories, they add signature touches to personal charisma and self-confidence. The subtly reworked lugs are slimmer and flow more smoothly over the wrist. The circular-grained motif on the carrier adds a subtle touch of refinement. The black and white front dial shared by all models in the Reverso Classic collection is subtly textured, with a guilloché centre and a vertical-brushed exterior. Above and beyond details that pay tribute to its classic identity codes, the Reverso features authentic technical content. This is expressed through the choice of fitting a mechanical automatic movement in most models of the Reverso Classic collection, thereby meeting the demand for functionality and user friendliness.
While the Reverso is generally associated with a mechanical manually-wound movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre revels in cultivating a taste for challenges and has always striven to reconcile apparent opposites. This includes combining horological complications with simple modes of operation, as well as uniting utility with beauty. Developing an automatic movement tailored to the confines of the rectangular Reverso dial called upon the full range of talents within the Manufacture.
A day/night indicator appears at 6 o’clock on the brushed, guilloché front dial, while the black dial on the back, bearing large stamped hour-markers and graced with “clous de Paris” hobnail finishing, displays “home time” instead of the traditional 12 o’clock numeral. The Jaeger-LeCoultre anchor symbol dominates this sunburst composition that makes a striking contrast with the linear nature of the front side. The second dial also springs another surprise by revealing in its center the discreet yet tangible presence of the free-swinging oscillating weight.
The Reverso Classic Duetto is made to be admired, worn and made your own. Crafted in pink gold or steel, it flatters every wrist in its two sizes: small and medium. With its two back and front dials and a double set of hands driven by a single movement, it radiates an enduringly seductive elegance. On the back, the deep black dial features an Art Deco style enhanced by two rows of diamonds that flirt with the night hours. The Reverso Classic is appreciated for its enduring qualities that make their way through time with constantly renewed elegance. They convey the close attention paid by the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre to those who place their trust in its creative excellence.
