By Dhananjay Pathak
Some watches never go out of fashion and can be best described as Classics and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is certainly one of them. Born in the early 1930’s to withstand the rigors of the Polo Grounds, the Reverso might have undergone quite a few cosmetic or internal changes since its genesis, but not much has changed from a design standpoint making it a truly timeless watch. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface limited edition that you see here is a SIHH 2018 reveal by the brand and is a result of JLC’s partnership with Argentinian bootmaker Casa Fagliano. The watch features a pink gold case and comes mated to an exquisite two-tone cordovan leather strap done by Casa Fagliano.
Among other things, what primarily makes a Reverso unique and instantly recognizable is its case. So let us begin by looking at the case of the Reverso Tribute Duoface limited edition. This watch comes in a 49.4 mm x 29.9 mm pink gold case giving the watch its rectangular silhouette. Like all other Reverso’s the case on this watch also comprises of basically two parts: the main slab comprising of the two watches faces and the base plate with attached angular lugs that enables the reversing mechanism. Also present are the horizontal grooves on both the top and bottom of the case giving it a distinctive visual appeal. The case is water resistant to 30 meters which is appropriate for a dressy timepiece like this.
As mentioned before the Reverso was initially designed with the game of Polo in mind and hence had one face of the watch acting as the cover (similar to a closed case back on a normal watch) to protect any wear during the game. But as time progressed and the watch became more mainstream the true potential of the Reverso was unleashed by utilizing both the faces of the watch to display several different complications on each face and hence the name Duoface. The first face on The Jaeger –LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface showcased here comprises of a beautiful slate gray dial with a sunburst finish. The dial is well complemented by the dauphine style handset and the hand applied markers which echo the pink gold color tone of the case providing a nice contrast against the gray dial. There is also a subsidiary seconds dial at 6. On the second face of this watch, one is greeted by a silver dial which is an interplay between two different finishes. The circular center portion along with the subsidiary dial at 6 and the day-night indicator has an opaline finish to them, whilst the rest of the dial has a Clous de Paris guilloche pattern giving the dial a lot of character and also lending the watch a slightly different aesthetic as compared to the gray dial.
The watch is powered by JLC’s manually wound movement Calibre 854/2. The movement beats at a frequency of 21600 bph, offering a power reserve of around 42hours and has been recently decorated with some nice perlarge work on the bridges. But what I really like about this movement is the fact that JLC has specifically designed this movement to fit the case of the Reverso and as a result, it has a rectangular shape to it, unlike some other brands which fit their square/rectangular shaped watches with circular movements.
All in all the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface limited edition is an art deco marvel that actually gives its owners an opportunity to own and experience two different watches in one single watch. The Casa Fagliano two-tone cordovan leather strap that watch comes fitted to the watch really complements the warm color tone of the case. Each strap is handcrafted and combines a light brown with a dark brown shade on the turned-over flap. The watch would be limited to a production run of 100 pieces and would be sold exclusively in Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques. jaeger-lecoultre.com
