The new Reverso minute repeater is an extension of the brand’s 150-year expertise in making chiming calibres
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of chiming mechanisms dates to the earliest days of its founding in 1833. Its expertise is confirmed by an archive of more than 200 chiming calibres. The Reverso, which was born in the 1930s, was first equipped with a minute repeater in the 1990s, amidst the revival of interest in mechanical watches.
The new Reverso minute repeater embodies Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technical advances in recent times, including the patented trebuchet hammers, silent regulator and a new generation of gongs. It is powered by a new version of Calibre 944 – a movement entirely conceived, designed and produced in-house. It is also distinguished by dials on the front and reverse sides, bringing a fresh visual expression to the timeless Reverso design. While the dials display the same time, they are very different in character – one exuberant, the other more sober.
The front dial is entirely skeletonised, revealing the complexity of the minute repeater mechanism with its display of moving parts when the chiming mechanism is activated. Beneath a large bow-shaped bridge that sweeps from 11 o’clock to 7 o’clock, the components appear almost to be floating in three dimensions. The visual depth and transparency are enhanced by faceted indexes that are cantilevered from the chemin de fer minutes track.
While the exuberance of the front dial contrasts with the rectilinear geometry of the Reverso case, the relative sobriety of the reverse dial echoes and amplifies those straight lines. Vertical Côtes de Genève stripes extend over the entire height of the main plate, which also serves as the dial. Showcasing the timekeeping mechanism, with subtle colour accents provided by blued screws and golden hands and hour markers, the cool silver tone of the metal provides an elegant counterpoint to the warmth of the gold case.
The slider on the left side of the case that activates the chimes has been specially designed to be as slim as possible, without sacrificing ergonomics, and visually complement the Art Deco lines of the case. The manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 944 provides a power reserve of 35 hours. The watch is limited to 10 pieces.
