If you’ve ever stared at a Cartier Tank or a Reverso for longer than strictly necessary (and let’s be honest—who hasn’t?), you’ve already fallen under the spell of Art Deco. Born in the geometric fever dream of the 1920s and formalised with the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, Deco wasn’t just a style—it was a worldview. Clean lines, symmetrical shapes, and the subtle glint of machine-age optimism became its building blocks, and watches were an early beneficiary.

Cartier was arguably the style’s first great horological champion. The original Tank in 1917 looked like a war machine had gone to finishing school. Movado’s sliding Ermeto, Rolex’s rectangular Prince, even early Pateks and Vacherons—all flirted with Deco in form, typography, and proportion. These weren’t just watches. They were mini-architectures of modernity.

Enter Jaeger-LeCoultre, who took the rectangular case and turned it into a concept. The Reverso, born in 1931, was both solution and sculpture. Designed for polo-playing Brits in India, it flipped to shield the dial from mallets—but also just so happened to nail the Art Deco trifecta of symmetry, proportion, and innovation.

Now, in 2025—100 years since Deco made its debut on the world stage—JLC is paying tribute not just to the movement, but to its own contribution to that history. With a sprawling cathedral-like booth at Watches & Wonders Geneva, and nine new Reversos unveiled across complications, enamel work, and jewellery craftsmanship, the maison isn’t just reflecting on its legacy. It’s declaring its future.

Every New Reverso at Watches & Wonders 2025, Explained

Nine models. Some bold, some quiet. All unmistakably Reverso.

Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater

Every brand needs a halo piece. At Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre gave pride of place—literally and symbolically—to the new Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater. Suspended at the apex of their cathedral-like, multi-level booth, this watch wasn’t just a technical showcase; it was a thesis statement. That the Reverso, after nearly a century, still has room to surprise, to seduce, and to sing.

Crafted in pink gold and powered by the brand-new Calibre 953, this is the world’s thinnest Reverso Minute Repeater at just 9.25 mm thick. The electric blue guilloché dial, layered with transparent grand feu enamel, catches light like ripples in a koi pond. On the reverse: an openworked display revealing crystal gongs, articulated trebuchet hammers, and a silent governor. It chimes like a bell tower whispered through silk—precise, resonant, and confident.

Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Shahnameh’ Series

Four watches. Four miniature canvases. The Shahnameh series pays homage to Persian mythology through exquisitely painted enamel casebacks. From horse-bound warriors to mythic beasts, each piece is a lesson in storytelling and technique. These are watches you don’t just wear—you study.

More importantly, they offer a welcome break from the Eurocentric mythos that luxury watchmaking often clings to. There’s something quietly radical in seeing an epic from 10th-century Iran immortalised in enamel by a Swiss maison. The fact that the enamelled side ties beautifully back to JLC’s polo-and-India origin story? Chef’s kiss.

Reverso Tribute Geographic

A world timer in a Reverso case was always going to be a tricky proposition. The new Reverso Tribute Geographicanswers with elegance. A classic Reverso Tribute face on the front, and on the reverse: a full city disk and dual-time readout, powered by the new Calibre 834. It’s also the first time JLC has integrated a patented Grande Date into the Tribute family. The execution is quiet and crisp, not cluttered—no small feat when trying to cram a world’s worth of timezones into a single square inch of real estate.

Reverso Tribute Nonantieme ‘Enamel’

The 2025 Nonantieme dials down the drama just enough to find a new groove. The front is now dressed in grey sunray finish—minimal, chic, architectural. Flip it, and the wildness returns: jumping hours, rotating minutes, and a stylised night/day disc that looks plucked from an art gallery. It’s a study in duality—understated luxury on one face, cosmic theatre on the other. The Calibre 826 returns with its clever stacked architecture, making this one of the most wearable complicated Reversos out there.

Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179

Let’s call this what it is: a masterstroke of engineering, intended less for the wrist and more for the pantheon. The multi-axis Gyrotourbillon is hypnotic, suspended in negative space like it’s floating. The white gold case gives it just enough restraint. And yet, for all its beauty, this one might not tug the heartstrings of every collector. It’s exceptional, but so elevated that it almost exits the Reverso conversation. A marvel, no doubt—but also a little museum-y.

Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ & ‘Precious Colours’

Two wildly different takes on the Métiers Rares canvas. Precious Flowers leans into painterly enamel work and delicate pavé. Precious Colours goes abstract: diamond-framed geometry, crisp guilloché, layers of lacquer and enamel. These aren’t token women’s pieces. They’re modern expressions of what a Reverso can be when freed from the constraints of function-first design. And yes, that curved work along the watches' angles? Genuinely stunning up close.

Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

This model takes classic Reverso codes and adds just the right amount of gloss. A pink gold case is now paired with a Milanese bracelet in matching metal—a first for the collection. The dial remains grained and restrained, with a small seconds subdial keeping the symmetry intact. There’s something undeniably cool about the Milanese bracelet—it softens the watch without making it precious. For the collector who loves the heritage but wants just a touch of 2025 on the wrist.

Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds

Dual-time, double charm. This year’s Duoface refresh includes two steel versions: one in deep blue, the other in matte black. The new reverse layouts improve clarity and create a satisfying contrast with the more classical front side. It’s Reverso at its most practical—and most wearable. A safe bet? Sure. But in the best possible way.

Final Thoughts

JLC’s Reverso 2025 lineup isn’t revolutionary. But that’s the point. What it offers instead is refinement—of complications, of decoration, of how we wear heritage. And for a watch that’s nearly a century old, that refinement still feels remarkably contemporary.

But it’s not all applause. The brand’s pricing hikes in recent years—up to 40% on some staple references—are hard to ignore. Yes, you’re paying for artistry and in-house excellence. But you’re also paying for narrative, positioning, and prestige. That’s not inherently bad—it just needs to be acknowledged. Still, in a moment where horological trends often ping between overdesigned chaos and sterile minimalism, the Reverso remains one of the few constants. It doesn’t chase relevance. It defines its own. Deco may be 100 years old, but the Reverso makes it feel like a good century ahead of everything else—even if fewer of us will be invited to the party.