Jaeger-LeCoultre: Reverso Tribute Chronograph

Born in 1931, the Reverso was one of the first wristwatches ever developed specifically for sport – its ingenious swivelling case designed to protect it when worn on the polo field – although its appeal immediately spread far beyond the sporting arena. In 2023, the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph pays tribute to the Reverso’s roots with the quintessential sporting complication – the chronograph. Drawing inspiration from the first Reverso Chronograph of 1996, the new Calibre 860 unites a chronograph with a double-sided display of the time. 

CONTRASTING DIALS

The front dial of the watch bears all of the hallmarks of the Reverso Tribute line, with its baton hour markers, Dauphine hands and peripheral chemin de fer minutes track. The discreet elegance of the sunray-brushed surface gives no hint of the mechanical complexity that lies within; the only clue that there is much more to this timepiece is the presence of chronograph pushers on either side of the winding crown. 

The Reverso Tribute Chronograph is presented in both steel and pink gold, complemented by dark blue and black straps respectively. The cool tone of the steel case is complemented by a blue-grey dial – a sophisticated colour achieved by the innovative ADL (atomic layer deposit) process, in which ultra-thin layers of titanium oxide are deposited. The subtle glow of a pure black dial creates a noble contrast to the richness of the pink gold case. 

Turning the watch case over reveals the beautifully crafted chronograph mechanism on the reverse side. To showcase the animation of the chronograph and full complexity of the movement, the dial is entirely skeletonised, the bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève, and the chronograph seconds and minute tracks are highlighted in black to maximise legibility. Blue screws are matched by the blue of the chronograph hands, underlining the perfect integration of movement and decoration. 

THE NEW CALIBRE 860 

Adding a fresh chapter to the rich history of complicated calibres conceived and made in the Vallée de Joux, the Reverso Tribute Chronograph is powered by the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 860, a fully integrated hand-wound chronograph movement. Entirely designed, produced and assembled within the Manufacture, it is an elegant and creative answer to the challenge of housing circular chronograph timing indications within a rectangular case, while maintaining the clarity and legibility essential for this sporty complication. Moreover, according to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s approach to product integrity, whereby a movement should be shaped according to the case that houses it, the calibre itself also had to be rectangular. The result is a balanced and distinctive dial layout, with a large chronograph seconds display in the upper part of the dial complemented by a retrograde 30-minute indicator on an arc at the base of the dial. 

Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, Calibre 860 incorporates a column wheel chronograph with a horizontal clutch, which was chosen over the more familiar vertical clutch to reduce the overall thickness of the movement. To display hours and minutes on both front and reverse dials, the movement powers two sets of hands that must move in opposite directions to indicate the time in correct clockwise fashion on both faces of the watch. Calibre 860 offers a power reserve of 52 hours, even allowing for the high energy requirement of a retrograde chronograph combined with two time indications.

Evoking the world of polo, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph is completed by a pair of straps with interchangeable buckles made of canvas and leather or entirely in leather produced by the Argentinean manufacture Casa Fagliano. The price is €24,400 for the steel version and €42,700 for the gold model.