When it debuted in 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso brought the ingenuity and glamour of the Art Deco movement’s bold, geometric vocabulary to the watch world.
Its unique reversibility was created to solve a rather esoteric problem: how to protect the delicate glass covering a watch dial from smashing on the polo fields. René-Alfred Chauvot, a French industrial designer tapped by Jacques-David LeCoultre, founder Antoine’s grandson, devised an ingenious solution: flipping the watch within its case so the glass was hidden and the metal back could absorb the impact of errant balls and mallets.
As the watchmaker approaches its 200th anniversary, the Reverso Tribute collection pays homage to this original streak of genius. While Jaeger-LeCoultre has expanded the Reverso to include three collections, the clean lines and Art Deco aesthetics of the original have endured. The instantly recognizable rectangular case also remains, decorated with three horizontal gadroons on each side of the dial. The watch swivels in its case, revealing a polished surface for engraving or a second dial.
The hero of this homage is the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, which is receiving an update with a monochrome pink-gold design and a stunning Milanese bracelet woven from more than 50 feet of pink-gold thread. Clever finishing techniques soften the look of the all-gold piece: The case and the bracelet are polished to a high shine, which contrasts with the matte finish of the textured, grained dial.
The applied polished gold indexes and Dauphine hands display the time, and at 6 o’clock, there’s a small seconds subdial. The result effortlessly bridges almost a century of innovation, one move at a time.
More of our favorite stories from CULTURED
14 Books Our Editors Can’t Wait to Read This Summer
Inside the Closet of a Revered Stylist Who Has Only Worn Prada For Over 30 Years
Charles Melton Actually Has No Idea Where His Career Goes From Here
Introducing a Play For Every New Yorker Who’s Had More Bad Dates Than Good
7 Commandments for Rookie Collectors, From CULTURED’s Power Art Advisors
Sign up for our newsletter here to get these stories direct to your inbox.
in your life?
