Since we’re in the final stretch of the year, brands are releasing their remaining watches for 2024 — just in time for the holiday season, of course! As such, the fan-favorite Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute watch collection welcomes a batch of new models, some in new sizes and some in new materials. Meet the brand new Reverso Tribute Monoface, Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds, and Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon watches hoping to make your festive shopping list this year.
To refresh our memories, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Tribute line in 2016 to celebrate the 85th birthday of its famed Art Deco rectangular swivel case watch. As their name suggests, the Tribute pieces are a nod to the original stylistic codes of the inaugural Reverso from 1931. All Reveso Tribute models, including these new ones, have Dauphine hands, trapezoidal indexes, and chemin de fer (a.k.a. rail track) minutes. Reverso watches have come a long way from their early days on polo fields — you’re more likely to spot these timepieces in comfortable and well-appointed spaces rather than on hectic horse-and-player-filled pitches.
The Reverso Tribute Monoface is now available in a new, trimmed-down size. Measuring 40.1mm in length, 24.4mm wide, and 7.56mm thick, this is a notable decrease from previous models (45.6mm x 27.4mm x 8.51mm) and closer in dimensions to the original 1931 Reverso. There are two versions currently on offer, both in stainless steel and one fitted with a blue sunray lacquer front-facting dial and the other, a silvery-grey opaline one. Given that these are Monoface models, the opposite side of the rotating case is a blank canvas of steel that Jaeger-LeCoultre encourages to be used for personal engravings or bespoke lacquered designs.
Those front-facing dials are home to just a pair of hour and minute hands, powered by the manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 822 with 42 hours of power reserve. Both versions are fitted with Casa Fagliano straps — golden tan for the silver version and blue for the blue edition — that combine both smooth calfskin and saffiano calfskin for textural contrast. Additional strap colors are available for purchase, which can be easily swapped via the interchangeable system.
Next up is a new version of the Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds in pink gold. Like previous versions, the Duoface Small Seconds case measures 47mm by 28.3mm and 9.6mm thick. The front dial is dark sunray blue, created with 20 layers of lacquer, and displays the hours, minutes, and running seconds. The reverse silver sunray dial indicates a second time zone with an accompanying 24-hour subdial. To not disrupt the clean lines of the rectangular case, the second time zone is adjusted via a smaller slider hidden in the caseband at 12 o’clock. It is only visible when the case is in mid-flip. Powering the Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds is the manually wound Caliber 854 with 42 hours of power reserve.
Finally, another model that joins Jaeger-LeCoultre’s catalog is the Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in stainless steel. We’ve seen this watch before in platinum and in pink gold, and now utilitarian steel version joins the once precious-metal-exclusive party. The tourbillon is visible on both dials but each offers quite a different experience. On the front, somewhat subdued grey sunray dial with local time, we see a flying tourbillon thanks to the lack of the upper supporting bridge. At the center of the tourbillon is the balance wheel and the brand’s patented S-shaped hairspring; there’s also no outer tourbillon case, which has been replaced with a peripheral ball-bearing system.
When we flip the 45.5mm by 27.4mm and 9.15 mm thick case around, not only are we met with a much more ornate silver sunray Clous de Paris guilloché semi-open-worked dial for the second time zone but also a very large skeletonized bridge that secures the tourbillon in place. Peek at the top right corner of the same dial and you’ll spot the date/night indicator comprised of a red arrow pointing to a sun and moon disk. The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon is made possible due to the manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 847 with 38 hours of power reserve.
Mechanically speaking, the Duoface Small Seconds and Duoface Tourbillon are the clear champions with their fancier complications. However, I think the new smaller Reverso Tribute Monoface versions are the winners here in terms of wearability — and clearly, affordability. The steel Reverso Tribute Monoface in silver (Q7168420) and blue (Q716848J) will retail for $8,900 USD. The Reverso Tribute Duo Small Seconds in pink gold (Q3982590) is priced at $25,500 USD and the steel Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon will retail for $111,000 USD. For more information about the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute watches, please visit the brand’s website.
