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Legendary!
This year, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates its
iconic Reverso — a model that showcases
the brand’s total command over every
aspect of haute horlogerie.
No jubilee, of course, is needed to remind the world
of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of watchmaking but, for
2025, the Manufacture chose to theme its whole stand
at the Watches & Wonders show in Geneva around the
totemic Reverso.
Famously designed in 1931 for polo players, the watch
owes its longevity and special status to a design that
expresses Art Deco style and the clever engineering
that allows the case to slide and pivot within its frame.
Backed by the exceptional capabilities of one of the
industry’s most innovative manufactures and enriched
by the artistry of its rare handcrafts, the Reverso has
come to embody the inventive and technical spirit of
watchmaking, all without sacrificing an ounce of nat-
ural elegance.
Mulitfaceted
“This Reverso celebration gives us the opportunity to
tell stories” said Jérôme Lambert at this year’s Watches
& Wonders in Geneva. Having returned as CEO of the
Maison in 2024, after six years heading parent company
Richemont, Lambert radiates a contagious enthusiasm.
“It’s an extraordinary experience to once again lead a
Maison founded nearly two centuries ago, 192 years to be
exact,” he continued. “Especially one whose impressive
longevity has been fuelled by a rare creativity.” One of
the earliest full-fledged manufactures, Jaeger-LeCoultre
has over 1,200 in-house calibres and some 400 patents
to its name. A creativity that has found frequent expres-
sion in the Reverso, “it’s the most extensively developed
design within our collections,” Lambert noted, “and one
that remains highly relevant in today’s markets.”
Building on that aura, the Reverso is, naturally enough,
the focus for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s communications this
year with messaging that highlight the multifaceted
nature of a true chameleon watch, equally at home in any
setting. “The Reverso can tell the story of the great com-
plications, such as this year’s minute repeater,” Lambert
explained. It also brings to life the enchantment of the
decorative arts – just look at the enamelled ‘Shahnameh’
models inspired by 16th-century Persian miniatures.
“The Tribute Monoface Small Seconds with its new
Milanese mesh bracelet, by contrast, highlights the Art
Deco elegance of the design. Each Reverso explores one
or more dimensions of fine watchmaking, thanks to the
expertise housed within our centuries-old Manufacture.”
180 crafts, one watch
The Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, issued in a
30-piece limited series, exemplifies Lambert’s vision.
First, it draws on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s historical authority
in chiming watches: As the brand notes, “Our first crea-
tion in the genre dates back to 1870, followed by over a
hundred masterpieces before 1900 alone.” For this model,
the Manufacture developed a new movement, the Calibre
953, which incorporates seven existing patents, includ-
ing key innovations that enhance sound quality. Among
them: trebuchet hammers, crystal gongs and the elimi-
nation of silences in the chime sequence. Aesthetically,
the watch features a hand-enamelled front dial with a
stunning barleycorn guilloché motif, while the reverse is
fully skeletonised and decorated with hand-chamfered
bridges and alternating brushed and grained finishes.
“A synthesis of the 180 crafts brought together under
one roof at our Manufacture, this new model embod-
ies both the versatility and the timeless modernity of
the Reverso,” says Jaeger-LeCoultre — and its central
role in the brand’s ongoing pursuit of horological inno-
vation, both mechanical and terms of design. On that
aesthetic front, the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small
Seconds, mentioned by Lambert, deserves a final spot-
light. With its rose gold case, matching grained dial and
Milanese bracelet, he says it exudes “a vintage glamour
infused with a distinct modernity”. Exactly what one
expects from a watch that, more than 90 years after it
first came to life, remains an icon at the very pinnacle
of fine watchmaking. ■ Éric Dumatin
1. JAEGER-LECOULTRE Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater.
A descendant of the 1994 Reverso Minute Repeater, the brand’s
first rectangular minute repeater, this 51.1 x 31 mm creation fea-
tures the new manually wound calibre 953, which, remarkably for
such a demanding complication, offers a 48 hour power reserve.
While the reverse (shown here) reveals the beautifully finished
movement, the front showcases a barleycorn-patterned guilloché
dial under Grand Feu enamel in a new teal blue colour. Limited
edition of 30 pieces.
2. JAEGER-LECOULTRE Reverso Tribute Monoface Small
Seconds. This elegant 45.6 x 27.4 mm Reverso in solid pink gold
(case and bracelet) displays time on a grained dial in a match-
ing tone and is powered by the manual-winding calibre 822.
It takes 16 metres of gold wire to make the Milanese mesh brace-
let, a technique dating back to the 13th century. The blank case-
back can be customised with engraving or lacquer.
JÉRÔME LAMBERT | CEO JAEGER-LECOULTRE