In addition to a common denominator for beauty and harmony shared by the natural world and man-made masterpieces, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the infamous Golden Ratio. A mystical number represented by the letter φ (Phi) and recognised as a universal signifier of beauty. One magnificent proportion of mathematical art that humans instinctively find to be the most aesthetically pleasing, represents the unique relationship within an object. Where the ratio of a larger part to a smaller part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the whole.
A golden rectangle is one in which, if a square is cut from it, with sides the same length as the rectangle’s shorter side, the remaining rectangle has the same proportion as the original rectangle. In watchmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso expresses this principle with utmost eloquence. Created in 1931 at the height of the Art Deco artistic movement, which emphasized geometric patterns, rectilinear shapes, and clean lines. The original design of Reverso was governed by the Golden Ratio, and many variations of the Reverso case have been presented over the nine decades since then.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso 2023
At Watches & Wonders, a trade show of the international watch and jewelry industry in Geneva, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces three new models to the Reverso Tribute collection.
The Reverso Tribute Chronograph
Revisiting the ground-breaking Reverso Chronographe of 1996, this was one of the first wristwatches ever developed specifically for sport. Now, the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph pays tribute to the Reverso’s roots with the quintessential sporting complication, the chronograph. Perpetuating the spirit of inventiveness that has driven Jaeger-LeCoultre for 190 years, the new Calibre 860 unites a chronograph with a double-sided display of the time.
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.
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 maximize legibility. Turning the watch case over reveals the beautifully crafted chronograph mechanism on the reverse side. 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.
The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon
La Grande Maison presents the Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in pink gold, inspired by its first tourbillon wristwatch, the Reverso Tourbillon, introduced thirty years ago. A glorious expression of the Calibre 847 introduced in 2018, it shines a spotlight on the Manufacturer’s avowed expertise in tourbillons. Also incorporating the Duoface concept, its two dials present two different aesthetics, with a second time zone and a day-night indicator on the reverse dial.
The Manufacturer’s expertise in tourbillons has grown steadily from that point, with its development of multi-axis tourbillons incorporating a variety of shaped balance springs. On the wrist, with the front dial visible, the Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon has an elegant yet highly distinctive presence. These understated details, together with the subtle glow of the silver sunray-brushed front dial allow the tourbillon to take center stage. The eye is drawn to its whirling motion, then travels all the way through its intricate structure to the back of the watch case.
As the case turns over, it reveals the cradle, where a visually dramatic sunray pattern centers on a mirror-polished disc; the disc is precisely aligned with the tourbillon to reflect light back through the delicate mechanism. The second time zone is indicated by golden hands and indexes on a black sunray-brushed dial, and above the dial, the night and day indicator features an exquisite starry night sky.
The Reverso Tribute Small Seconds
Continuing the story of colour, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with sunray-brushed dials in four variations. In a newly redesigned pink gold case; a black dial, paying homage to the black dials of the original 1931 Reverso, creates a dramatic contrast to the polished metal; a burgundy lacquer dial complements the glowing richness of pink gold; and a silver dial, closely recalling the silver dial of the first-generation Reverso, is a discreetly elegant foil for the rich golden glow of the metal.
The black and burgundy dials are paired with two Fagliano Collection straps in complementary colours. one strap in the signature canvas-and-calf combination and the other in all calf. The silver dial is paired with a Fagliano Collection canvas-and-calf strap and an additional black alligator strap. Also for 2023, they created a silver opaline dial with black nickel finished hands and indexes that adds a dynamic and contemporary feel to the steel Reverso Tribute case.
Reverso Tribute Small Seconds is powered by the manually wound mechanical movement, Calibre 822. With 108 components, this mechanically elegant and well-proven movement offers a power reserve of 42 hours. Like all Jaeger-LeCoultre calibres, its components are finely finished and decorated, even though they are hidden beneath the solid metal caseback.
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