When the Manufacture decides to celebrate the anniversary of its emblematic Reverso watch, it does not do things by halves. The Reverso Nonantième and Hybris Mechanica are brilliant examples of this.
A tribute to the brand’s heritage
As it celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, the Reverso still displays the same panache as on its first day. To mark this anniversary year, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a new 190-piece limited edition in pink gold that incorporates the aesthetic codes of the first Reverso designed in 1931 to equip Polo players based in India.
Flanked by its famous signature gadroons, the reversible case opens onto a classic silvered sunray dial punctuated by a large date and a moon phase.
On the battery side, there is an original semi-skipping digital hour indicator reminiscent of the digital displays developed by the manufacture in the 1930s. A minute disc partially concealed in a bright blue lacquered plate dotted with golden stars and a day/night indicator symbolised by an applied golden sun and moon complete the picture that the new manual caliber 826 drives behind the scenes.
In the spirit of the first Reverso models of the early 1930s, the refined aesthetics and the emblematic details of the dial of the Reverso Tribute embody sobriety. The faceted hour markers are enhanced by Dauphine hands and the railroad minute track. Combined with the brilliance of the sunburst silver dial on the front, these discreet details give the tourbillon the starring role.
The gaze is first attracted by its undulations before traveling through its complex structure to the bottom of the watch case. As the box is turned over, it reveals the stretcher, with an engraved sunburst decoration converging on a mirror-polished disc. The disc is precisely aligned with the tourbillon to reflect light through the elaborate mechanism.
On the back of the watch, the dial is enhanced by partial skeletonwork and beautiful decorations, in particular hand-beveled bridges. These details were all made in the Manufacture’s Atelier des Métiers Rares. On the black sunburst dial, Dauphine hands and gilt applied indexes display the second time zone.
In the upper right corner of the dial, the day/night indicator features a starry night sky. Reminiscent of the 1993 Reverso Tourbillon, the gold bridges are decorated with a Clous de Paris guilloché, while the blued screws create a beautiful contrast with the gold.
Carried out on a hundred-year-old hand-operated lathe, the guillochage of the bridges is a delicate, highly technical operation, requiring no less than six hours of meticulous work.
Despite the complexity of its movement, the pink gold case (45.5 x 27.4 mm; water-resistant to 30 meters) is only 9.15 millimeters thick. This exceptional Reverso is worn on a black alligator strap.
