Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon In Pink Gold

In homage to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first tourbillon wristwatch, the Reverso Tourbillon, introduced thirty years ago, La Grande Maison introduces the Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in pink gold. This magnificent embodiment of the Calibre 847, released in 2018, highlights the Manufacture's self-proclaimed mastery of tourbillons. The Duoface concept is also present in this watch, as the two dials have contrasting designs and the second dial displays a second time zone and a day/night indicator.

An Inheritor to the Legacy Explores the Future

When it was first released in 1931 and for the next 60 years afterward, the Reverso was just a timepiece. After the quartz crisis, interest in mechanical watchmaking rose, and Jaeger-LeCoultre released a number of exceptional Reverso models beginning in 1990 to celebrate the brand's 60th anniversary. Each timepiece from a 'golden decade' of releases was a masterpiece of horological engineering.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso Tourbillon was introduced in 1993, drawing inspiration from the brand's groundbreaking tourbillon movement Calibre 170, which debuted in a pocket watch in 1946. In addition to being the first tourbillon wristwatch produced by the Manufacture, its rectangular case and shaped movement were also firsts. Since then, the Manufacture's tourbillon knowledge has expanded to include the design of multi-axis tourbillons with unconventional balance springs. Jaeger-LeCoultre's first and second place finishes in 2009 at the International Chronometry Competition attest to the brand's mastery of this regulating device, which improves timekeeping accuracy by neutralising the effect of gravity on a watch movement. This knowledge has grown and evolved over the years, with the most recent addition being Calibre 847.

This ultra-thin hand-wound movement incorporates a flying tourbillon and the Duoface complication into a single mechanism, and it only measures 3.9mm in thickness. Watchmakers at Jaeger-LeCoultre had to radically redesign the tourbillon mechanism to achieve this goal.

They used a ball-bearing system to replace the outer tourbillon cage and moved the balance wheel to the centre of the tourbillon, eliminating the need for the upper bridge. The hairspring would typically be fastened to the outer tourbillon cage, but this was not possible. The S-shaped balance spring, which Jaeger-LeCoultre developed and patented, has one end attached to the balance wheel and the other to a stationary point in the middle of the tourbillon mechanism. Having the spring be perfectly concentric to the tourbillon is crucial for accuracy, and the S-shape prevents the coils from touching each other.

This highly complex tourbillon, with its 62 parts and 0.455-gram weight, is a testament to the Manufacture's mastery of this regulating mechanism and to the fact that it is one of only a handful of Manufactures to design and manufacture its own hairsprings.

Since its introduction in 1994, the Duoface concept has been a cornerstone of the Reverso collection. It is a novel interpretation of the dual time zone complication, showing local time on the front dial and home time on the back. The correct time can only be displayed if the movement rotates the two sets of hands in opposite directions, so that they can travel around their respective dials in a clockwise direction. All adjustments are made via the crown, which contributes to the watch's aesthetic unity and also makes it easy for the wearer to adjust the time and date.

Two Sides, Two Moods, Two Time Zones

The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon has a sophisticated and eye-catching appearance when worn on the wrist with the front dial exposed. The Reverso Tribute dial, inspired by the designs of the early 1930s, features a streamlined aesthetic and signature details that exude refinement, such as faceted hour indexes, Dauphine hands, and a chemin de fer minute track.

The tourbillon is given all the attention it deserves thanks to the front dial's silver sunray brushing and other subtle details. The rotational motion captures the observer's attention and leads them on a journey through the complex design of the watch to its back. When the case is turned over, a cradle with a sunray pattern at its centre is revealed. This disc is perfectly aligned with the tourbillon so that light is reflected back through the intricate mechanism.

The watch's reverse dial displays a more daring personality thanks to partial skeletonization and glorious decoration, such as hand-angled bridges, both of which were accomplished in the Manufacture's Métiers Rares® workshop. Above the dial is an exquisite starry night sky, and golden hands and indexes on a sunray-brushed black background show the time in a second time zone. In homage to the 1993 Reverso Tourbillon, the gold bridges are intricately textured with Clous de Paris guilloché, and the blued screws contrast beautifully against the gold. Six hours of careful work went into the guillochage of the bridges, a delicate and highly skilled operation performed on a hand-operated lathe that was built in the early 20th century.

Simplicity and sophistication that belies its age

The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon's case is only 9.15 mm thick, despite the complexity of the movement, to enhance its elegance and wearability. Art Deco styling and bold geometry give this case the appearance of being more straightforward than it actually is. It has more than fifty parts, including a patented slide and swivel mechanism that attaches the case to its cradle, making it one of the most complicated cases in watchmaking.

The Reverso, with its instantly recognisable rectangular case, is widely considered to be one of the most influential watches of the 20th century. The Reverso's case's harmonious proportions, which remain faithful to the original design based on the golden ratio, make it look as contemporary now as it did when the watch was first conceived more than 90 years ago.

Technical Specifications:

REVERSO TRIBUTE DUOFACE TOURBILLON

Case: Pink Gold 750/1000 (18 carats)
Dimensions: 45.5 X 27.4 mm; 9.15 mm thick
Calibre: Manually-wound mechanical movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibe 847
Functions: Hours, minutes, second time zone, night & day, tourbillon
Power reserve: 38 hours
Front dial: Silver sunray-brushed
Back dial: Black sunray-brushed
Water resistance: 30m
Strap: Black alligator
Reference: Q392242J