·       New diamond-set case reaffirms Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of the jewellery crafts

·       The first Reverso One with a fully diamond-set bracelet

·       Manufacture Calibre 844 with the emblematic Duetto complication

The first watch to feature a rectangular case that can be turned over to protect its dial, the Reverso became a must-have almost immediately on its launch in 1931. Although originally conceived for polo players, this watch became recognised as a design icon, appealing to men and women from many walks of life, who embraced the originality of its design and the refinement of its Art Deco lines. Less than a year after its creation, feminine models of the Reverso appeared, subtly revisiting the original aesthetic codes: the rectilinear geometry of the reversible case with its bevelled triangular lugs, horizontal gadroons, and the chic simplicity of the dial.

A new expression of the alliance between Fine Watchmaking and High Jewellery

This year, in keeping with the pioneering spirit of La Grande Maison, which has created watches for women since its early days, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents two new expressions of the Reverso One. Cased in pink gold, they illustrate the union of Fine Watchmaking and High Jewellery down to the smallest detail. Expressing the full potential of an icon that never ceases to inspire the watchmakers of La Grande Maison and the craftsmen of the Métiers Rares workshop, the case of the new Reverso One Duetto Jewellery is entirely set with diamonds. One model is complemented by a shiny black leather strap and the other by a pink gold bracelet entirely set with diamonds. 

When the Duetto complication is adorned with pink gold and diamonds

In 1997, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Duetto, featuring two back-to-back dials, each with a set of hands driven by a single movement but turning in opposite directions in order to display the same time correctly on both sides – a complex mechanism that represented a technical achievement for the Manufacture’s watchmakers. For the new Reverso One Duetto Jewellery models, the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 844 – entirely developed and produced within the Manufacture – now promises 50 hours of power reserve.

The new Reverso One Duetto Jewellery presents the back-to-back dial concept in a new setting that is as rare as it is precious. With 335 grain-set diamonds that cover the entire case-back and wrap seamlessly around its curved sides to frame the dial, the case is unquestionably a piece of jewellery, emphasised by the inverted diamond set into the crown. On the front, every detail of the silvered sunray dial with its guilloché decoration is delicately finished: the golden brackets in each corner, the applied Arabic hour numerals and hour markers, the Dauphine hands – all emblematic elements of the Reverso One models.

The reverse dial offers a striking contrast – dramatic and more mysterious. Enhanced by Art Deco-style gold hour markers – also emblematic of the collection – the black dial immediately catches the eye. Sprinkled across a background of glossy black lacquer, tiny gold flakes seem to form clusters of light particles, their radiance echoing the brilliance of the diamonds that adorn the case.

Setting by the Métiers Rares workshop

The Reverso One Duetto Jewellery raises the Duetto concept to even greater heights with a diamond-set bracelet – the first time that the case, bracelet attachment and bracelet links of a Reverso One have been fully gem-set. A total of 719 diamonds adorns this High Jewellery piece, including at least 384 for the bracelet alone.

To create the case and bracelet of the new Reverso One Duetto Jewellery, the gemsetters in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares workshop used the grain-setting technique, anchoring the diamonds with tiny, almost invisible gold beads that give the precious stones an unparalleled sparkle. Setting four diamonds together in perfect symmetry within the tiny dimensions of each pink gold link is testament to the gemsetters’ mastery of their craft.

The new Reverso One Duetto Jewellery reaffirms the watchmaking expertise and jewellery savoir-faire that La Grande Maison has cultivated with passion for several decades.  

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REVERSO ONE DUETTO JEWELLERY
CASE: 750/1000 pink gold

Dimensions: 40 x 20 mm, thickness: 9.09 mm

Calibre: Jaeger-LeCoultre Manually Calibre 844, manually wound

Power reserve: 50 hours

Functions: Hours and minutes (identical time on both sides)

Front dial: Silvered sunray

Back dial: Black glitter

Diamonds: 335 diamonds (2.44 carats)

Strap: Black alligator

Reference: Q336247J

REVERSO ONE DUETTO JEWELLERY (GOLD BRACELET)
Case: 750/1000 pink gold

Dimensions: 40 x 20 mm, thickness: 9.09 mm

Calibre: Jaeger-LeCoultre Manually Calibre 844, manually wound

Power reserve: 50 hours

Functions: Hours and minutes (identical time on both sides) 

Front dial: Silvered sunray

Back dial: Black glitter

Diamonds: 719 diamonds (8.15 carats)

Strap: 750/1000 pink gold entirely paved with diamonds

Reference: Q3362370

As a canvas for artistic expression, the double-sided case of the Reverso is unique in watchmaking, providing an opportunity for the artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atelier des Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts™ workshop) to unleash their skills in the decorative arts.

For the Reverso One Cordonnet Jewellery, La Grande Maison unites the talents of its gem-setters with its mastery of watchmaking complications, bringing a new and exuberantly feminine expression of glamour to the Reverso collection.

Jaeger-LeCoultre featured the cordonnet bracelet (the word means ‘fine braid’) on several women’s watches during the 1930s. This simple black cord – the ‘little black dress’ of watch bracelets – epitomised the refined elegance of the Art Deco period, and perhaps never more so than when paired with the Reverso for the first time, in 1933.

For 2021, the Reverso One Cordonnet Jewellery reinterprets this exquisite pairing in radiant style, transforming the simple cord bracelet into a supple braid of gold and diamonds and uniting it with a fully diamond-set Duetto case.

Designed especially for women, the double-sided Duetto offers two dials, each with a different expression of the time. The ingenuity of the movement – the manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 844 – lies in its ability to turn the hands simultaneously in opposite directions on each dial.

The front dial of the Reverso One Cordonnet Jewellery is constructed of multiple layers: fine golden Arabic numerals are applied to a white mother-of-pearl base and framed by diamond-set brackets; in the centre, framed by a fine filet of gold, a geometric cut-out reveals a glittering field of pavé-set diamonds. The reverse-side dial offers a rich contrast: set onto a background of onyx, diamond-set golden ‘sunbeams’ radiate out from the centre to form the hour markers.

The entire case and bracelet attachment, the bracelet itself and both dials are fully set with diamonds, while the winding crown is adorned with a reverse-set diamond. (1,104 diamonds for a total of 7.84 carats). For the case, Jaeger-LeCoultre chose the grain-setting technique, whereby the diamonds are held in place by beads of gold so tiny that they are almost invisible, keeping the stones very close together, so that the watch case appears to be encrusted in a solid mass of diamonds.

Conceived as an ode to 21st-Century femininity, the new Reverso One Cordonnet Jewellery attests to the horological savoir-faire, artistic craftsmanship and jewellery-making skills of La Grande Maison, while paying homage to the women who inspire Jaeger-LeCoultre every day.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REVERSO ONE CORDONNET JEWELLERY

Case material: pink gold fully set with diamonds

Case dimensions: 36.3 x 18mm

Movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 844 – manually wound with 38-hour power reserve

Functions: Hours and minutes (indicating the same time on both dials)

Front dial: Mother-of-pearl, diamonds, applied numerals

Back dial: Onyx, diamond-set indexes

Bracelet: Pink gold fully set with diamonds

Diamonds: 1,104 diamonds for 7.84 carats

Reference: Q3372301

Miniature movement

Under the dome of the elegant and refined leaf, which gives it part of its name, this new jewellery-watch conceals the renowned Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101. Developed by the Manufacture in 1929, it remains the smallest mechanical movement in the world to this day. An exception in terms of miniaturisation: 98 components manufactured and assembled at the Manufacture with a volume of 0.2 cm³, thickness of 3.4 mm and weighing barely a gramme.

A new look with white gold and diamonds

Delicate, feminine and timeless, this unique interpretation allows white gold to shine in all its glory. Under a bed of 171 diamonds (10.13 carats) of different diameters, set individually by hand to cover the precious metal completely, the secrets of the infinitely small are either hidden from the eyes or revealed to the light of day. Closely reproducing the curved and sensual lines of a leaf, the headdress of this secret watch can be raised or lowered with one simple movement. Whenever its owner desires, the 101 Feuille watch in white gold unveils its silvered opaline dial with absolute discretion.

Expressing the art of gem-setting and hand-engraving, the 101 Feuille jewellery-watch in white gold offers signature Jaeger-LeCoultre Rare Handcrafts™ (Métiers Rares®) characteristics a new chance to shine. And to light up the eyes of women who appreciate the art of watchmaking in its more technical, more precious and more spectacular state.

Technical specifications:

Dimensions: 18.35mm x 6.80mm

Thickness: 5.47mm (without the leaf)

Calibre: Manually wound mechanical movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101/4

Functions: hours, minutes

Case: white gold

Dial: silvered opaline

Bracelet: white gold set with diamonds

Carats: 171 brilliant-cut diamonds (10.13 carats)

Reference: Q2863303