Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph

Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled the Reverso Tribute Chronograph with an original expression of the chronograph, combined with a modern and timeless elegance. You can find all the details, including live photos and pricing, below.

The Reverso Tribute Chronograph revisits and reinvents the ground-breaking Reverso Chronographe of 1996. The earlier piece was one of six special Reversos developed in the space of a single decade, each of them designed around an entirely new expression of the great classical watchmaking complications. The movement of the 1996 Reverso Chronograph, Calibre 829, was not only the first shaped chronograph movement in a rectangular case for Jaeger-LeCoultre but also the first manually-wound integrated chronograph to be developed from scratch in the post-quartz era.

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.

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.

Turning the watch case over reveals the beautifully crafted chronograph mechanism on the reverse side. To showcase the fascinating animation of the chronograph and full complexity of the movement, the dial is entirely skeletonised, the bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève to create visual unity, 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. Enhancing the sense of visual depth, the indications for the second time display – faceted baton indexes and chemin de fer minutes track – appear to be floating above the calibre.

Movement.

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. 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.

Thoughts.

For me, the Reverso Tribute Chronograph was one of the most impressive watches at Watches and Wonders 2023. I love this concept of a watch that appears simple and classical on one side, yet reveals a more complex, functional and skeletonized design on the other. I appreciate both chronographs and well-crafted skeleton watches, but I don’t necessarily need them in my daily life. With the Reverso Tribute Chronograph, however, it’s the perfect combination. I can simply flip the case when I want to appreciate the complex watchmaking or use the chronograph function.

The two straps offered with each watch, a signature of the Reverso Tribute line, feature an interchangeable buckle for easy strap changes. In canvas-and-leather and all-leather options, they are designed by the celebrated Argentinian polo bootmaker Casa Fagliano.

The price of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph in steel is €23,800 and €41,700 for the pink gold version. More details about Jaeger-LeCoultre on www.jaeger-lecoultre.com