Watches And Wonders 2025: Is Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater The Ultimate Sonic Timepiece?

At Watches and Wonders 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre once again demonstrates why it is revered as The Watchmaker of Watchmakers™. The Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, a limited edition of just 30 pieces, is a bold statement in haute horlogerie, blending technical mastery with artistic refinement. With an all-new Calibre 953, seven patented innovations, and the Maison’s unparalleled expertise in chiming watches, this timepiece stands as a testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s relentless pursuit of acoustic and mechanical perfection.

A Legacy of Innovation in Chiming Watches
For over 150 years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has pushed the boundaries of sound in watchmaking. Since producing its first minute repeater in 1870, the Manufacture has continually refined the complication, achieving milestones such as crystal gongs (2005) for enhanced resonance and trébuchet hammers (2009) for a more powerful, refined chime.

In 1994, the Maison unveiled the first Reverso Minute Repeater, a remarkable feat that miniaturized the complex mechanism into a rectangular case. Now, in 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre elevates this legacy with the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, integrating decades of research into a new-generation movement with 48 hours of power reserve—a significant achievement for an energy-intensive complication.

The Sound of Precision: The New Calibre 953
The newly developed Calibre 953 embodies the pinnacle of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expertise in chiming mechanisms. Designed, assembled, and finished entirely in-house, this movement incorporates:

Crystal gongs, affixed directly to the sapphire crystal to amplify sound

Trébuchet hammers, which deliver a more efficient, powerful strike

Silent-interval elimination, ensuring a seamless chime sequence with no awkward pauses

This meticulous engineering ensures that the chimes resonate with exceptional clarity, warmth, and volume, transforming each activation of the minute repeater into a captivating auditory experience.

Two Dials, Two Expressions of Artistry
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares™ atelier brings two distinct personalities to the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater:

The Front Dial: A Teal Blue Masterpiece
The grand feu enamel dial is adorned with a hand-engraved barleycorn guilloché pattern, requiring four hours of precise craftsmanship. Layer upon layer of enamel is applied and fired—a process that takes eight hours—resulting in a deep, radiant teal blue hue. This labor-intensive technique ensures a rich, translucent depth that enhances the dial’s mesmerizing beauty.

The Reverse Dial: A Transparent View into Precision
Flipping the case reveals an open-worked reverse dial, exposing the intricate mechanism of the minute repeater. The floating hour markers, cantilevered from the outer chemin de fer minute track, enhance the sense of depth and transparency, offering a fascinating glimpse into the mechanical ballet of the hammers and gongs. The bridge spanning the movement is finished in deep blue lacquer, harmonizing with the enamel front dial.

Crafted from 18k pink gold, the 51.1mm x 31mm case remains faithful to the Reverso’s Art Deco origins while accommodating the complexity of the movement. Despite its intricate mechanics, the watch maintains a sleek 12.6mm profile, ensuring elegance and wearability.

The minute repeater slider, seamlessly integrated into the side of the case, has been redesigned for discreet yet effortless activation, preserving the purity of the Reverso’s geometric form.

Completing the look, a black alligator leather strap, lined with small-scale alligator for durability, enhances the watch’s timeless aesthetic. The adjustable pink gold folding buckle, comprised of 46 meticulously assembled components, allows micro-adjustments to 0.5mm, ensuring the perfect fit.

A Collector’s Dream: The Nonantieme Collector’s Box
The Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is part of an exclusive six-piece Nonantieme Collector’s Box, celebrating 90 years of the Reverso. This curated set, reminiscent of the 1991 60th-anniversary box, highlights some of the most complex and groundbreaking Reverso complications ever created.