In the world of watchmaking, there are very few historically important timepieces that share the iconic status of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. Originally introduced in 1931, the legendary watch was spawned out of a request from polo players who were tired of having the glass of their watches smashed. Almost a century old, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has permanently etched its name in the history books as one the most celebrated watches of all time. For 2023, Jaeger-LeCoultre has released a new version that pays tribute to the original. Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023, the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph is available in pink gold and steel cases and is directly inspired by the first Reverso chronograph of 1996.
Reverso’s sleek Art Deco personality and the chronograph function is a rare combination, which is what makes the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph an interesting release. Both pink gold and stainless steel versions measure 49.4 (lug to lug), 29.9 wide, and 11.14mm thick.
It features a classic three-hand time-only dial on one side and a skeletonized chronograph on the other. The main dial gets a sunray-brushed background which is black in the pink-gold version and blue-grey on the stainless steel version. The blue-grey dial has a distinctive look achieved through Jaeger-LeCoultre’s innovative atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Flipping over the reverse side reveals a more complex and truly fascinating openworked dial with the chronograph function. The movement powering the watch is on display in the reverse dial with the baton markers applied to the railway minute track appearing to float over the caliber. This brings us to the beautiful movement powering the watch.
Housed inside the rectangular case is the Calibre 860 – an all-new manually wound chronograph movement developed and made in Vallée de Joux. It’s made of 300 components and offers a power reserve of 52 hours. The Reverso Tribute Chronograph comes with two straps – a canvas-and-calfskin strap and an all-leather strap. As for the pricing, the stainless steel version carries a price tag of $21,400, while the pink gold version can be yours for $37,400.
