Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Impressive Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater
The Reverso strikes again with two different faces and a new in-house minute repeater movement.
Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils a spectacular pink gold Reverso with a minute repeater powered by a new, fully integrated and shaped in-house movement. Taking advantage of the sleek Art Deco geometry of the Reverso and its swivelling case with two faces, the Grande Maison showcases its refined artistic crafts with an elegant guilloché decoration on the front dial. The reverse dial of the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater reveals a radically different view of the openworked movement in all its mechanical complexity.
Many people are familiar with the origins of the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso as a practical reversible watch designed to withstand the rigours of polo matches in 1931. After 60 years of time-only indications, Jaeger decided to innovate and introduce complications into the rectangular format of the Reverso. Among these was the 1994 Minute Repeater, the first rectangular-shaped minute repeater in history with an aperture on the dial showcasing the strike regulator. While the new Reverso shares the same name, the resemblances are few, save the unmistakable profile of the pink gold Reverso case.
Drawing on its rich legacy of striking mechanisms dating back to 1870, Jaeger-LeCoultre has fitted seven of its patented innovations to enhance chime quality inside the newly developed in-house calibre 953. The crystal gongs (patented in 2005), so named because they are attached directly to the sapphire crystal glass, are featured in the new movement along with the trébuchet hammers (2009) that work like a catapult to strike the gongs with less energy without reducing the volume. Another patented invention (featured in the calibre 185 of 2021) is silent-interval elimination. And given the energy-consuming minute repeater complication, the 48-hour power reserve is admirable.
While the two dials display the same time, the front dial is decorated with a radiant hand-guilloché barleycorn pattern that seems to move when it catches the light. The guillochage is enhanced with Grand Feu enamel in a beautiful teal blue colour, all performed in the brand’s Métiers Rares atelier.
The reverse openworked dial of the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater offers an extraordinary view of the new rectangular-shaped movement and the hammers and gongs in action. The faceted gold indices are cantilevered from the blue lacquered chemin de fer (railway) minutes track and appear to float above the mechanism. Decorated with refined hand-bevelled bridges and brushed and grained surfaces, the bridge spanning the movement from 7 to 5 o’clock supporting the hammers is also decorated with blue lacquer.
The elegant polished pink gold case – 51.1mm length x 31mm width x 12.6mm thick – and its sharply delineated gadroons with grained recesses matching the thin frame surrounding the dial, has a discreet slider to activate the minute repeater.
Another novelty is the adjustable pink gold folding clasp attached to the black alligator leather strap. Fitted with a double-wheel mechanism for micro-adjustments to the nearest 0.5mm, the well-designed folding clasp ensures a perfect fit. The Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is a limited edition of 30 pieces. Price is USD 299,000. More information at jaeger-lecoultre.com.
