Hands-On: Jaeger-LeCoultre's New Reverso Tribute Is Unisex At Its Best

Back in 2016, we saw the launch of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute collection to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the iconic reversible rectangular-cased watch. This year Jaeger-LeCoultre added four new watches to this collection, two of which finally get us back to a case size that is nearly identical to that of the original Reverso from 1931. The Reverso has been a canvas for so many of JLC’s designs and watchmaking innovations over the years but, I have to say, it is so nice to get back to the basics with a legitimately unisex size and a monoface dial. As nice as the duoface Reversos are, the watch was conceived for polo players who wanted to protect their watch while leaving room for some personalization on the enclosed side.

The original Reverso was 38mm tall, 24mm wide, and 6mm thick, while the new Reverso Tribute Monoface watch is 40.1mm tall, 24.4mm wide, and 7.56mm thick. So, while technically a little bigger on paper, the differences would hardly be noticeable when comparing them side-by-side on the wrist. When the Reverso Classic was released in 2016, there were three case size options, with the small using a quartz movement and the medium/large using an automatic movement that caused the case thickness to swell to over 9mm thick. They also had busier dials with Arabic numerals and guilloché work, which — while undeniably handsome— were just not really close to those of the original Reverso.

This new pair nails the dial by keeping it simple but without being a pure replication of the original. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is inherently tied to Art Deco design, so the bold dauphine hands, applied trapezoidal indices, and clean minutes track are all the dial needs to make a punchy statement without causing clutter. Done in a stainless steel case with 30 meters of water resistance, the two dial options are either silver opaline or blue sunray lacquer. I know the blue is going to be a hit, and I understand why, but there is a lot appeal in the subtlety of the silver opaline dial, in my opinion at least. Another nice touch is the off-center, engraved sunbeam-style lines done on the inner side of the case frame which are visible when turning the face.

The real fun of a monoface JLC Reverso is the customization of the opposite side of the rotating case. Sure, you can leave it blank if you so choose, but that just sounds like such a wasted opportunity. JLC offers the basic options — like initials or text — which start at around $370, as well as designs like flowers, the Chinese zodiac, or global monuments like the Eiffel Tower, which start at $740. If that’s not custom enough, you can do a personalized design that uses line, etched, relief, or lacquered engraving. And obviously, these are priced to order but will certainly cost you more than those standard options.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Caliber 822 is the manual-wind movement of choice for non-duoface Reversos. A slim, tonneau-shaped movement that measures 22mm wide and just 3mm thick, it operates at 3 Hz and has a 42-hour power reserve.

I was also impressed by the suppleness, build quality, and stitching of the straps, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that these are specially made for the Reverso Tribute collection by Casa Fagliano. They have really nice contrasting textures, with smooth calfskin flanking the case and saffiano calfskin extending from there on. Naturally, the blue dial model has a matching blue strap and the silver opaline has a golden-tan strap. These straps are actually interchangeable, so they can be swapped out if you so wish.

This pair of new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface are each priced at $8,900 which is pretty fair for one of the most historic and important watches ever created, let alone such an excellent reinterpretation of the original. You can learn more at jaeger-lecoultre.com.