This Classy Dress Watch Has a Hidden ’90s-Inspired Detail

JLC has crafted one of its most stunning and impressive Reversos yet.

a closeup of a jaeger lecoultre reverso dress watch

Published November 12, 2024

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Although it was first created as a sports watch for polo players in the 1930s, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has morphed to become what is arguably the most versatile dress watch on the market.

Thanks to its trademark rotating case design, the Reverso is able to feature multiple looks in the same watch. Some Reversos keep the formula very simple, like the recent Reverso Tribute Monoface, while others are among the most complicated watches in the world, such as the four-faced Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque from 2021.

The newest Reverso falls somewhere in between. On one side, it’s a simple two-hander and among the classiest dress watches you’ll ever see. But flip the case over, and you’re treated to a complex open-worked chronograph with a surprising 1990s inspiration.

a gold jaeger lecoultre reverso dress watch in a golden setting — The case, dial, indices and movement bridges are all crafted from 18k pink gold.

All That Glitters

JLC really piled on the gold for its latest release. Not only is the 49.4 x 29.9mm case of the new Reverso is made of solid 18k pink gold, but so is the dial, which has been laser engraved with horizontal lines to visually continue the pattern of the case’s trademark gadroons.

The applied indices on the dial are also in solid pink gold, as are the pin buckles on both of the included leather straps. Even the bridges of the in-house movement are made of solid 18k pink gold, and they’ve been hand-beveled and given a Côtes de
Genève finish as well.

Virtually everything on the watch is gold, which is why JLC refers to this type of treatment as “full gold” rather than just “gold.”

Born in the ’90s

The reverse side of the case features an open-worked dial showing off those aforementioned gold bridges, and it’s quite the stunner. You’ve got a clear view of the balance wheel at 5 o’clock, along with an unobstructed look at the chronograph’s column wheel at 7 o’clock.

a gold jaeger lecoultre reverso dress watch on the wrist of a man wearing a sweater — The reverse side of the latest Reverso shows off the solid gold bridges of the hand-wound integrated chronograph movement.

There is a standard clockface filling the top 2/3 of the dial, but instead of being labeled 1 – 12, it marks off 60 minutes in five-minute increments. That’s because at the center of this dial is a blued seconds hand that tracks the chronograph seconds. The chronograph minutes are recorded in a separate subdial at 6 o’clock, which is where the ’90s reference comes in.

Back in 1996, JLC debuted the Reverso Chronograph Retrograde, which as its name suggests, featured a retrograde chronograph complication. This type of chronograph displays the minutes on an arc rather than a circle, and once its minute hand reaches the end of the arc, it instantly snaps back to the beginning to start its journey anew.

The new Reverso Tribute Chronograph brings back this eye-catching complication, with its Cal. 860 hand-wound integrated chronograph movement utilizing a retrograde 30-minute register at 6 o’clock on the dial. The counter, with its flat bottom, perfectly suits the rectangular shape of the movement, making it tailor-made for a Reverso.

the complicated dial of a gold jaeger lecoultre reverso chronograph dress watch — The retrograde minute counter looks right at home on the rectangular dial.

Pricing and Availability

With its full-gold construction and complex 1990s-inspired movement, the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph Pink Gold is one of the more compelling versions of JLC’s iconic dress watch to come out in some time. Naturally, that means it’s both expensive and rare.

Jaeger-LeCoultre is producing just 250 examples of the watch — which includes a black alligator strap and a brown calf leather strap designed by artisanal bootmaker Casa Fagliano — and it’s priced at $66,000.