As far as watchmaking storytelling goes, there are few iconic timepieces that have as distinctive a pedigree as the Reverso.
It was back in the 1931s when the original patent for what would become Jaeger-LeCoultre’s case-flipping, Art Deco classic was filed. The Reverso, was a model born from the dust of the polo fields, built with the challenge to fit the demands of an active gentleman’s life. But remember, this was ninety years ago—the dawn of the jazz age; back when appetites for adventure were as large as those for pleasure and innovation. Society was beginning to shrug off restrictive customs and new fashions were being forged. It was the era of empire and sport-as-leisure and, stylistically, the curved, organic lines of Art Nouveau were giving way to the streamlined geometry of Art Deco. It was then that the foundations of the Reverso’s design began to form.
Imagine, if you will, the sun-baked plains of British India, the thunder of hooves, the clash of mallets. Military officers, the sporting elite of their time, sought a timepiece that could withstand the brutal elegance of polo. They demanded resilience, a watch that wouldn’t shatter under the strain of the game. And so, in 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre delivered the solution: the Reverso—a timepiece with a pivot allowing it to flip its face over to a solid caseback able to protect when playing, and then flip back again during the post-match celebrations.
But the Reverso was never meant to be merely utilitarian. It was a whisper of Art Deco, a symphony of clean lines and geometric grace representing the elegance of the era. In more than ninety years since then, the enduring (and endearing) legacy of the Reverso is a testament to the power of merging form and function.
Now, this iconic design takes on a new voice. A voice that speaks of distant shores, of global exploration, of the romance of time itself. At the recent Watches & Wonders event in Geneva, the Swiss Maison released a clutch of new novelties to its most revered collection—chief of all is the Reverso Tribute Geographic.
“The Tribute Geographic brings a new dimension of creativity to what this current generation of watchmakers is bringing to the history of the Reverso,” beams Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO, Jerome Lambert. “The Reverso has inspired so many creative expression over the past 90 years, and this piece really is one that continues to show such innovation from our watchmakers.”
Directly, that ‘innovation’ Lambert refers to is the use of a combination of laser engraving and technical lacquering on the metallic backside of the case in order to create the World Time display.
Traditionally, when creating Reversos that contain complications Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmakers have tended to present both sides of the case in glass. The idea being that due to the elite level of craftsmanship, you get to see the genius at work. However, for the new Reverso Tribute Geographic, the world time display was carved directly into the metal (in either Steel or Pink Gold)—an incredibly challenging technique that elevates the pieces into the pantheon of truly special Reversos, alongside the four-faced Reverso Hybris Mechanica—the most complicated model ever created.
“What I love about the new Geographic is that it’s a piece that celebrates that the Reverso is not just about one face or the other, but it is about the entire case, and all the elements that make up the piece,” says Lambert.
While the front dial (left) is classic Reverso, it is on caseback where the world time display sets it apart—the construction created on three different levels to a remarkable effect of visual depth. The city names are engraved directly onto the caseback; set within the aperture, the rotating 24-hour ring indicates day and night; in the centre is the world map–marked with the longitudes that provide additional visual orientation in relation to the time zones.
“It’s a bit like Mona Lisa behind the glass, and Mona Lisa without the glass,” offers Lambert.
The Reverso Tribute Geographic is more than a watch; it’s a journey, a voyage across time and space. It’s a testament to the enduring power of a design that transcends its origins, a whisper of adventure, a silent promise of exploration. It’s a gentleman’s companion for the modern age, a story told in the language of horological excellence, a story that continues to unfold with each passing moment.