Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/10/17/why-i-love-the-jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-and-you-should-too-2/
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Accessibility and aspiration: It’s not easy to have a single product line that spans all the way from entry-level pieces to multimillion-dollar halo watches, but JLC has achieved it with the Reverso. It’s still possible for a young collector to do exactly what I did almost 30 years ago and enter the world of true high horology with a first Reverso purchase. At the same time, there are pieces that I still drool over and hope at least to see in person.
Fortune smiles: the author wearing a friend’s Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2
The present and future of Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
One of the tough things about being the steward of an icon is that while you need to keep the offering fresh, you need to have many more hits than misses as you extend the line.
In recent times, the ninetieth-anniversary Quadriptyque and newly launched Tribute Minute Repeater, the latter with an update on the original Caliber 943 Reverso repeater movement that adds refinements including a silent regulator and trebuchet hammers, are solid winners.
Winner, winner: Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, 2021 (photo Jaeger-LeCoultre)
I was initially enthralled as well by the Reverso Nonantieme with a jumping hour and rolling minute display cloaked in an otherwise closed case back in true polo-protection tradition. But much to my chagrin the “jumping” hour was more of a creeping-to-12 arrangement, which was both a technical and practical disappointment as it makes discerning the actual hour a bit of a chore. I’d dearly love to see this piece retooled with a true jumping indication and would be at the front of the line to buy one if that minor miracle somehow came to pass.
Not quite jumping: Reverso Nonantieme, 2021 (photo Jaeger-LeCoultre)
Conventional wisdom has it that “people don’t buy rectangular watches.” As a longtime Reverso enthusiast and owner, I’m glad that Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to defy the naysayers. And with the ongoing energy in the watch market for vintage looks, I suspect that with strong continuing stewardship the Reverso will see its hundredth anniversary in 2031 healthier than ever.
Don’t trust me? Read the book!
Actually, books! My final argument for promoting the Reverso to iconic status: the two comprehensive histories of the line. The 1990s book by Manfred Fritz takes us through the sixtieth anniversary of Reverso and the introduction of the first truly complicated watch in the line, the Reverso 60th, while the lavish new book from Assouline, penned by watch historian and current GPHG jury president Nick Foulkes, takes us from the very beginning through the current day with beautiful photos and superb quality printing to boot.
Not one book, but two: histories of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Do you see the Reverso as a classic? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to share your own stories of Reverso acquisition, ownership, and personalization. I’ll look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, happy wearing!
Parting shot: Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to Reverso 1931, U.S. limited production version, 2012
Quick Facts Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater
Case: 51.1 x 31 x 11.41 mm , pink gold; front and rear sapphire crystals with integrated indices; integrated slider for minute repeater actuation
Dial: skeletonized front dial and partially open rear dial with Geneva stripes; silvered hands on front and pink gold hands on reverse
Movement: manually wound Caliber 944; 35-hour power reserve; 21,600 vph/3 Hz frequency
Functions: hours and minutes on two dials, minute repeater
Limitation: 10 pieces
Price: €250,000
Production year: 2021
* This article was first published 23 October 2021 at at Why I Love The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – And You Should Too
Gary Gertz is the founder of The Collectors Room, a private educational and social platform for watch collectors and aspiring watch collectors. You can learn more about that at https://thecollectorsroom.net/
You may also enjoy:
90 Years Of The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Why I Bought It: Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute To Reverso 1931
Jaeger-LeCoultre: A Collector’s ‘Gateway Drug’ And Ongoing Pleasure
Why I Bought My Wife An Engraved Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classique
Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/10/17/why-i-love-the-jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-and-you-should-too-2/
