Hands On with the Overwhelming Splendour of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s New Reversos

I don’t think it’s going too far to say that Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s Reversos are one of the undeniable stars of the watchmaking world. They’re precisely the kind of timepieces that put the ‘wonder’ in Watches and Wonders, and I can’t deny feeling my pulse quicken ever so slightly whenever I have the good fortune to place one upon my wrist.  

At this year’s convention, the maison has revealed 15 new Reverso references, and while each is more mind-melting in its complexity and craftsmanship than the last, I couldn’t possibly do justice to all of them here. However, having inspected them closely, tried them on, and wept silently as I was forced to give them back, what I can do is guide you through a selection of my own personal highlights from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new offerings. 

These may not all be the most complex or rare (although a number of them certainly are), but every single piece here is an undeniable work of art. And sometimes, you just can’t help the kind of art that speaks to you. 

So here are my most appreciated pieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Watches and Wonders 2025 offerings. Rest assured, each is an out-and-out masterpiece in its own way. 

Reverso Tribute Geographic

• Reference: Q714845J
• Movement: Manually wound Calibre 834
• Dial: Blue, sunray-brushed
• Case: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 49.4 x 29.9 mm
• Height: 11.14 mm
• Power Reserve: 42 hours
• Water-Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
• Strap: Blue calfskin leather, blue bi-material
• Price: AUD$34,200

The beauty of the Reverso design is that you essentially get added flexibility, whether by having two looks, additional functionality, or added protection in  the case of Monoface models. Few references have taken such full advantage of this as the Reverso Tribute Geographic. My favourite new addition to the Reverso range, it’s powered by a new manually wound in-house Calibre 834 movement, and would be the ultimate Reverso for the world traveller, going far beyond the powers of a GMT, and easier to read than your typical worldtimer. 

That’s because while one side of the watch boasts a classic Reverso dial in all its glory with a beautiful sunray finish and a small seconds sub-dial, hiding on the reverse is a supremely polished and elegant means of tracking time across the entire world (or the 24 cities laser engraved on its face at the very least). 

Where worldtimers will often feature a rotating bezel or inner ring with city names marked across it, leaving your eyes to dart around said ring in search of your location of interest’s position every time, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest effort does the opposite. I couldn’t be easier to use as the city names are static, engraved in place surrounding a rotating 24-hour ring that jumps in hourly increments. Then, sitting within that ring, a beautiful map has been constructed using a smooth disc of steel, from which the world is brought to life through intensely detailed laquering and laser engraving. It’s a beautiful and efficient means of telling what the time is at present for almost anywhere on the planet. 

As for the in-person experience, when you behold the Reverso Tribute Geographic, the result is surprisingly affecting. Not only does this marvel offer the supreme elegance of a classic Reverso dial and deliver an innovative means of tracking time the world over, it does it all via a wonderfully elegant case that feels ever so comfortable on the wrist. There are more compact Reversos, but this is the kind of watch you could wear every day and never take it off. 

Sure, the 42-hour power reserve won’t blow anyone away, and the price puts it out of the reach of most, but the Tribute Geographic is a triumphant piece of watchmaking. The only real problem I have with it is resisting the ever-present urge to constantly flip the case back and forth between the two sides until someone screams at me to stop. Then again, it’s an issue that would likely apply to every Reverso ever made. 

Note: this piece is also available in a pink gold incarnation limited to 150 pieces. 

Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

• Reference: Q713216J
• Movement: Manually wound Calibre 822
• Dial: Golden 4n, grained
• Case: Pink gold 750/1000 (18 karats)
• Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm
• Height: 7.56 mm
• Power Reserve: 42 hours
• Water-Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
• Strap: Pink gold 750/1000 (18 karats)
• Price: AUD$66,500

This entry is real show-stopper. Listen, I’m not a gold guy, I’m not a rose gold guy, and I’m not a pink gold guy. And yet, I love this watch. It’s just one of the most elegant pieces I’ve seen this year. 

It’s a much simpler proposition than the Tribute Geographic. Like the first Reverso released in 1931, which was intended to flip in order to protect its dial during games of polo, the underside of this watch’s case just consists of a flat surface of that same pink gold. 

You can have it engraved if you so wish, but there’s no mechanism for tracking timezones around the world, zero skeletonisation, not even an alternative dial. And y’know what? That detracts from this watch’s appeal and beauty not one jot. 

In fact, that connection to the 1931 original is entirely fitting, as once you have this Monoface on your wrist there’s no denying it has immense vintage charm. It does not look like a watch made in 2025, unless of course you take into account the immaculate finishing that covers its every surface. 

Speaking of which, the bracelet here is most certainly something to write home about. Incredibly thin in a way that enhances the case’s own slight 7.56-mm thickness, it’s extremely comfortable, cradling the wrist delicately without giving you cause for concern it might blow away in a heavy gust. And back to the case, yes it’s significantly smaller offering than the one we just discussed, which not only helps with that retro charm, it means the all-over pink gold here doesn’t cross the line into looking ostentatious. 

As I already suggested, this kind of watch has never been my style. And yet, having held it in my hand and worn it on my wrist more than once, I’ve been resoundingly convinced otherwise.

Reverso Tribute Enamel Shahnameh ‘Saam comes to Alburz’

• Reference: Q39334S3
• Movement: Manually wound Calibre 822
• Dial: Wavy guilloché enamelled, green 
• Case: White gold 750/1000 (18 karats)
• Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm
• Height: 9.73 mm
• Power Reserve: 42 hours
• Water-Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
• Strap: Black alligator leather
• Price: Price on request

This was a tough choice as there four Enamel Shahnameh watches were revealed at Watches and Wonders 2025 and each one is nothing short of a staggering achievement. Unfortunately, most of my photos didn’t turn, so I hope you’ll take my word for it (or you can glance at the magnificence contained within the image above). 

Each watch in this new collection is designed to celebrate the Reverso’s origins in relation to the game of polo. They do this in a way you might not expect; by simply focusing on the horse element of the game in order to make a connection with the Persian epic poem Shahnameh. As such, the caseback of each piece here is delicately painted in a miniature (and I do mean miniature) recreation of an illustration from a particularly lavish edition of the Shahnameh from the 16th century. Sure, it’s a long way from polo when you think about it, but the result is stunning nonetheless.

The level of skill that goes into crafting each of these watches and their casebacks has to be seen to be believed. At the Jaeger-LeCoultre stand here at Watches and Wonders, I witnessed an artisan demonstrating the steadiness of hand and intense concentration needed to recreate a masterpiece via enamel painting on the back of just such a watch. When you consider that ‘Saam comes to Alburz’ edition also features a generous serving of gold leaf and more, well, the difficulty level increases tenfold. 

Then there’s the dial to contend with. Incredibly intricate in its own way, the wavy hand-guilloché work is Grand Feu enamelled in various shades of green so it might create a link between the dial and its hand-painted reverse. Truly, holding this watch in-hand leaves you reeling at the astronomical levels of accumulated knowledge and skill required to create something like this. To be blunt, it hurts my brain. 

Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds

• Reference: Q398847J
• Movement: Manually wound Calibre 854
• Dial: Black, sunray-brushed / Silvered grey, sunray-brushed
• Case: Steel
• Dimensions: 47 x 28.3 mm
• Height: 10.34 mm
• Power Reserve: 42 hours
• Water-Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
• Strap: Black calf leather / grey bi-material
• Price: AUD$22,000

Fans of Jaeger-LeCoultre have been clamouring for this black-dialled delight. It’s by far the most affordable watch on my list—don’t think I haven’t considered it—and while it dosn’t boast the same complexity, hand-painted decoration, or use of precious metals as others here, it’s nonetheless a holy grail of a watch at a comparatively inexpensive price.

The thing is, any Duoface Reverso you might be inclined to describe as “without all the bells and whistles” still has an abundance of bells and whistles. Here, they include two beautiful dials, an immaculately crafted case, and a pair of straps (black calf leather and grey bi-material) that change the look and feel of the watch almost as much as flipping between the dials.

As far as said dials go, the front of this steel-cased number dons a black sunray-brushed finish, while the reverse opts for a silvered grey sunrayed alternative. The flexibility this unlocks for the wearer when it comes to aesthetics should be obvious, although the idea here is to set a different timezone for each. 

The front dial packs a small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, while the reverse has a 24-hour night-and-day display in the same location. Both are gorgeous and to be honest, I’d probably ignore what I’m supposed to do and instead have them both set to my local time so I can switch back and forth throughout the day. Yes, I know the 24-hour night-and-day display is meant to compensate for having different times on each dial. Does that make me unsophisticated? Maybe. But I’d enjoy every minute of it.

Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179

• Reference: Q39434E1
• Movement: Manually wound Calibre 179
• Dial: Blue lacquer / Openworked with blue-lacquered bridge
• Case: White gold 750/1000 (18 karats)
• Dimensions: 51.1 x 31 mm
• Height: 13.63 mm
• Power Reserve: 40 hours
• Water-Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
• Strap: Blue alligator with small-scale alligator lining
• Limited Edition: 10 pieces
• Price: Price on request

Finally, I only feels appropriate that end with something that’s completely out there. The Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 is happy to oblige. This limited-edition monster of a Reverso takes a 2023 release that successfully paired the very highest watchmaking know-how with a similarly exuberant flair for decoration and reimagines it in 18-karat white gold. 

Built around the fourth evolution of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s signature multi-axis tourbillon (aka the Gyrotourbillon), it still manages to have a surprisingly slim case considering it needs to accommodate this mammoth complication — check this article’s lead image for another look. On the wrist, it’s the largest Reverso here by quite some margin, but when you look at how much watch is crammed into that case, well, it’s a miracle the thing isn’t bursting at the seams. 

When I say “how much watch”, what I really mean to say is that this is too much watch. That will be the case for most people at least. Myself included. But then, it’s not meant for mere mortals like me. It does, however, remain an astounding piece of horology, and to encounter it in the flesh is really something else.