SMOOTH TURN

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph is based on a model from 1996. The mechanical watch renaissance at that time saw the launch of a newly developed integrated chronograph with a special series of hand-wound complications. Its successor is available in rose gold with a black dial or in stainless steel with a blue-grey dial, the version we examine in this story.

- Martina Richter

The simply elegant two-hand dial on the front of the watch exhibits the distinctive features of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with its faceted bar indexes, dauphine hands, and surrounding railway minute track. The refined blue-grey dial colour is achieved using the innovative ADL (atomic layer deposition) process to apply wafer-thin layers of titanium oxide. The understated elegance of the sunray finish gives little indication of the complexity of the mechanism hidden beneath the dial’s façade. The only sign that this timepiece has more to offer is suggested by the two rectangular chronograph pushers on the right side of the case, above and below the winding crown.

In the typical fashion of this world famous reversible watch, the technical complexity of the Reverso Tribute Chronograph truly reveals itself once the case is flipped. This face shows an offset second time display with an integrated chronograph seconds hand beneath an openworked dial, while retaining the characteristic ‘Chemin de fer’ railway minute ring and faceted bar indexes. On a separate half-circle subdial at 6 o’clock, we find a 30-minute retrograde counter for the chronograph.

Traditionally Classic on the Front, Technically Modern on the Back The design could not provide a greater contrast: While the front face emphasises the traditional horological origins of the elegant Reverso, the skeletonised dial of the chronograph half shows off a technical side that is both modern and sporty. But connecting the two sides is easy. Keep in mind that the Reverso was specially created in 1931 for sport—its ingenious reversible case was designed to protect the watch when worn during polo matches. The 2023 Reverso Tribute Chronograph can therefore be viewed as an homage to the roots of the reversible watch, and a modern addition of the quintessential sporting complication: The chronograph.