Over the last ninety years, Jaeger–LeCoultre's Reverso has stood the test of time like no other and experienced cultural and technological advancements while preserving its DNA. Its lure and design have passed over from one generation to the following one if we exclude a few attempts to create something out of the box like the Reverso Sport and Reverso Squadra, which are not the quintessential Reverso.
With that said, from the early nineties onwards, the management team at Jaeger–LeCoultre opened a new chapter, introducing an array of Haute-Horlogerie complications to either showcase the manufacture's prowess and please the most demanding connoisseur. As a result, the brand has released, since 1991, a new offering including mechanical complications you won't find on any Reverso introduced beforehand. Here is the complete list:
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Reverso Soixantième in 1991
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Reverso Tourbillon from 1993
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Reverso Répétition Minutes from 1994
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Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde from 1996
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Reverso Géographique from 1998
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Reverso Quantième Perpétuel from 2000
The project was more challenging than ever before, considering how distinctive is the technical layout (a rectangular mechanical movement), thus making engineers and master watchmakers' jobs all but an easy task. Jaeger–LeCoultre finally revealed the 2001 Reverso Septantième powered by caliber 879 with an eight-day power reserve to mark the collection's 70th anniversary. We can now finally take the curtain off the highlight of Watches and Wonders' last day: please welcome the Jaeger–LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Nonantième.
From afar, the Jaeger–LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Nonantième takes the Tribute collection to uncharted territory blending art and ingenuity. The sunray-finished silver dial hosts an outsized date window at twelve, framed by a subtle rose gold profile but, here is the highlight, you discover how outstanding it is by flipping its case over, where an incredible digital display of hours and minutes stands out.
The arrangement combines a digital semi-jumping hour display on top, while a slowly rotating disc elapsing the minutes instead, half-covered by a rose gold plate embellished with blue lacquer and a rose gold starry sky, crafted by the glorious Métiers Rares of the manufacture.
Jaeger–LeCoultre has developed a new mechanical caliber exclusively for the Tribute Nonantième; consisting of 230 parts, it is the caliber 826 which offers the same time display, one analog and the other digital, on both sides of the case and runs for 42 hours when fully wound. Here are the case's overall dimensions of reference Q711252J: 49.4 mm high and 29.9 mm large, with a thickness of 11.72 mm. Finally, the Jaeger–LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Nonantième retails for 39,700 Euros.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
