In the 90 years since the Reverso was born in 1931, it has become one of the most immediately recognizable watches of all time – a rare example of a design appreciated equally by men and women.
For 2021, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces a new interpretation of one its most admired models, the Reverso Duetto Medium, fitted with an automatic mechanical movement.
Distinguished, like all Reverso models, by the strength and purity of line of the original Art Deco design, and identified by the three straight-line gadroons that define both the upper and lower edges of the case, the new Reverso Duetto Medium introduces fresh colours and new aesthetic refinement to the collection.
A Story of Two Dials
The flip-over case of the Reverso – originally designed with a solid metal caseback that would protect the glass of the watch when it was worn to play sports – took on a new life in the 1990s, with the introduction of a second dial. Following the success of the Reverso Duoface, which displays a second time zone on its reverse, the double dial concept was reconceived with the Reverso Duetto. Each dial offers a distinctly different aesthetic expression of the same time – classically elegant on the front and more exuberant on the reverse – with two sets of hands animated by a single movement.
On the light-coloured front dial, a central rectangle decorated with deeply etched sunray guilloché pattern is framed by a chemin de fer minute track. Surrounding this, the clean-lined applied Arabic numerals stand out against a smooth background, adding greater visual depth and complexity. On the darker-coloured reverse dial, a sunray-brushed central circle is defined by a fine golden or steel ring (to match the case material), from which deeply etched guillochage radiates in a sunray pattern, accented by fine golden or steel bands that mark the hours.
Subtly refined details distinguish the new Automatic model from its hand-wound counterparts: on the reverse-side dial only the numeral ‘12’ is marked, and a small aperture at the centre reveals the oscillating mass. The self-winding movement is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Manufacture Calibre 968A, with a 38-hour power reserve. Adding further richness, the gadroons on the upper and lower edges of the case are now defined by row of grain-set diamonds on both the front and reverse faces.
The new Reverso Duetto Medium in steel has a reverse dial in glowing sapphire blue – a beautiful contrast with the frosted finish on the number ’12’ and the cool tone of the polished steel, and a perfect match for the blue hands on the front dial and the shiny alligator strap. The pink gold model has a glossy black lacquer reverse dial, while the soft white of the front dial is complemented by golden baton hands to match the numerals and the pink gold case. To reinforce this tonal harmony, Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced its signature shiny taupe alligator strap to the Reverso collection for the first time.
