The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Geographic

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso started life in 1931 as a pragmatic solution for British polo players in India who were constantly smashing the glass on their watches. Thanks to its patented swivelling case, players could protect the dial and switch it back in time for a Pimms Cup. A pivotal moment in the life of the Reverso, the famous reversible watch with stylish Art Deco aesthetics, occurred in the 1990s when it was upgraded with complications. Among these was the practical Reverso Géographique traveller’s watch of 1998, which displayed a second time zone on the reverse dial. The new Reverso Tribute Geographic might share the name of the 1998 watch, but that’s about as far as the similarities go. Technically speaking, the new Reverso Tribute Geographic is a bona fide worldtimer – with a twist. Powered by a new, in-house movement with a big date complication, it looks like Jaeger-Le Coultre might be back in business.

The new Reverso Geographic is available in steel or 18k pink gold cases measuring 49.4mm in length, 29.9mm across and 11.14mm thick with classic gadroons framing either end of the case. The steel model has a rich blue dial with a sunray finish on the front, and the pink gold is paired with a warm chocolate-coloured dial.

Giving no hint of the sophisticated travel complication, the dial features a big date display at noon with polished, framed apertures and a small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, creating a small dent in the signature railway-style minutes track. Faceted applied indices and dauphine style hands indicate the time.

The world time display is featured on the reverse side. Unlike many world timers with a rotating city disc, Jaeger-LeCoultre has inverted the display and features static city names and a rotating 24-hour ring. The outer ring features 24 city names engraved directly into the caseback, followed by the slightly recessed two-tone 24-hour rotating day and night ring; the steel model plays with blue tonalities, while the pink gold has black and grey details. The 24-hour ring is adjusted with a pusher hidden between the lugs and jumps in hourly increments. In the centre is a world map marked with meridian lines to assist legibility when consulting a determined time zone.

Designed, produced and assembled in-house, the new fully integrated manual-winding movement – calibre 834 – was created specifically for the Reverso Tribute Geographic. In addition to the world time complication, the big date relies on two small adjacent, not stacked, discs, resulting in both digits being displayed on the same plane.

Casa Fagliano, the famous Argentinian maker of polo and riding boots, has supplied the two interchangeable straps for each model. The steel model is paired with a leather and canvas strap and a second calfskin strap; the pink gold model comes with a golden tan calfskin strap and a more formal black alligator strap.

The rose gold Reverso Tribute Geographic is a limited edition of 150 pieces, while the steel model will be part of the permanent collection. The price is EUR 23,000 in steel and EUR 38,200 in gold. More information at jaeger-lecoultre.com.