Located at IRON 23, the exhibition will run from November 3 to November 22, 2023. The 'Reverso Stories' exhibition arrives just ahead of the grand opening of Jaeger-LeCoultre's new flagship boutique on Madison Avenue.

A fascinating retrospective that leads visitors through nine decades of timeless modernity, ‘Reverso Stories’ reveals the craftsmanship, innovation and design behind the celebrated timepiece and also explores the wider creative and cultural universe surrounding it.

Visitors will discover the Reverso story through four key themes: Story of an Icon, Style and Design, Innovation, and Craftsmanship. The experience is enhanced by an immersive digital art installation by Korean artist Yiyun Kang; a space devoted to the video series ‘In the Making’, which reveals the secrets of the 180 crafts practiced in the Manufacture; a room dedicated to Japanese artist Hokusai, whose works have been reproduced on Reverso timepieces; the 1931 Café serving an Art Deco-inspired menu; and hands-on watchmaking Discovery Workshops within the Atelier d’Antoine.

In addition to historic timepieces, the exhibits will include the 2023 Reverso models launched at Watches and Wonders, and two exceptional new Reverso Tribute Enamel models that will be launched during the New York season of ‘Reverso Stories’.

Exploring Nine Decades of Timeless Modernity through Four Stories

Since 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre has expressed its inventive spirit through the creation of many world firsts – including the legendary, patented swivelling case of the Reverso watch. This timeless expression of Art Deco style was born in 1931 on the polo fields of India, with the idea of a case that could be flipped over to protect the watch while playing ‘the sport of kings’. With its revolutionary design and immaculate craftsmanship, the Reverso was immediately embraced by trendsetters from all walks of life, quickly transcending its original purpose and, over the decades, becoming widely recognised as an icon of 20^th-century design.

The story of Reverso is told in four chapters. The Story of an Icon, retells the tale of the Reverso’s origins through rarely seen archive materials and milestone Reverso watches from the Jaeger-LeCoultre collection. The Story of Style & Design looks at the Reverso watch as a quintessential example of Art Deco design that remains timelessly modern today, expressing the spirit of the Golden Ratio. The Story of Innovation highlights the insatiable spirit of invention that characterises the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture, from the first brilliant idea for a reversible case, to the development of ground-breaking complications designed specifically for its rectangular shape. The Story of Craftsmanship pays tribute to the engravers, gem-setters, enamellers and guillochage masters of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares™ atelier, revealing how they have unleashed the full potential of the Reverso as a canvas for artistic expression and personalised messages.

Art Meets Watchmaking

Set at the heart of the exhibition, Yiyun Kang’s multimedia installation, Origin, was specially commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre under its Made of Makers program; a series of artistic partnerships that expands the dialogue between watchmaking and other art forms. Recognized for her immersive audio-visual and projection-mapping installations that recast space with moving image and sound, Yiyun Kang is one of the most active and acclaimed Korean digital media artists in today’s international art scene. Projected onto a very large three-dimensional screen, Origin explores the Golden Ratio – a fundamental concept regarded as the universal signifier of aesthetic harmony in both nature and man-made design – which has been the guiding spirit of the Reverso since 1931.  

A Celebration of Craftsmanship

Showcasing the 180 crafts housed under one roof at the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, two spaces are dedicated to particular aspects of the craft and art of watchmaking.  One room, ‘In the Making’ is devoted to a series of short films that take viewers behind the scenes, each focusing on a single craft, including rarely seen stages of the watchmaking process, with voiceovers that explain the artisans’ processes in their own words. The ‘Hokusai’ room celebrates the master enamellers of the Manufacture’s Métiers Rares™ atelier and pays homage to the 19^th-century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, whose works have been reproduced as enamelled miniatures on the case-backs of a series of Reverso watches.

An Educational Journey

'Reverso Stories' offers visitors a deeper exploration of watchmaking through the Atelier d'Antoine, a hands-on educational workshop that focuses on the Reverso. This Discovery Workshop is available to all visitors by appointment.

Indulge in Pastries Inspired by the Golden Ratio

Completing visitors’ immersion into the spirit of Art Deco, the 1931 Café is an invitation to guests to pause and enjoy a choice of crafted pastries designed by award-winning French pastry chef Nina Metayer, a collaboration under the ‘Made of Makers’ program, inspired by the principles of the Golden Ratio and ingredients from the Vallée de Joux.

The ‘Reverso Stories’ Exhibition will take place from November 3 to November 22, 2023 at IRON 23, located at 29 W 23rd Street, NY 10010. Entry is open to the public and free of charge.

Opening hours and admission:

Tuesday to Thursday 11am until 7pm

Friday and Saturday 10am to 7pm

Sunday 11am to 6pm

Closed on Monday

Guests will be able to walk in or book guided visits online at: Jaeger-LeCoultre - Theme - THE REVERSO STORIES EXHIBITION 

In 2023 Jaeger-LeCoultre enriches this year’s Golden Ratio theme through a continued collaboration with the Parisian artist-pastry chef Nina Métayer under its Made of Makers programme.

Expanding the dialogue that has long existed between horology, artisanship and art, Made of Makers is a programme of collaborations with artists and artisans from various disciplines outside watchmaking. It focuses on passionate and experienced creators who share Jaeger-LeCoultre’s values of creativity, expertise, precision and the perpetuation of excellence, and whose work explores new forms of expression through different and often unexpected materials and media. To date, the Made of Makers community has embraced the worlds of contemporary art and gastronomy – with alumni including artists Zimoun, Michael Murphy and Guillaume Marmin, lettering artist Alex Trochut, pastry chef Nina Métayer and mixologist Matthias Giroud.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s collaboration with Nina Métayer began in 2021 with the inauguration of the 1931 Café, for which the celebrated pâtissière created a special menu of pastries inspired by the Art Deco. Named Pastry Chef of the Year three times before she turned 30, Nina is renowned for the visual appeal of her pastries as well as her singular talent for blending evocative flavours in new and often unexpected ways.

“We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Nina Métayer under our Made of Makers programme,” says Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre. “Between the artistic world and our Maison, there is an organic bond in the exploration of creativity and the respect for craft, and working with a passionate and experienced artisan like Nina enables us to express our Maison’s values in new ways that generate emotions, cultivate curiosity and explore the symbiotic relationship that exists between horology and art.”

For her new pastries, which will be offered to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s guests at Watches and Wonders 2023 and served in the 1931 Café around the world during the coming year, Nina Métayer interprets the  harmony of the Golden Ratio in a fresh and contemporary way, through proportions, shape, symmetry and colour – a tribute to the ‘divine proportion’ that defines the design of the first Reverso that was born in 1931. With their eye-catching forms and evocative names – Spirale de Noisette, Ellipse de Sapin, Étoile de Cassis and Carré au Miel de Forêt – each creation is infused with ingredients from the Vallée de Joux. The flavours and scent of hazelnuts, honey, pine, chestnuts and blackcurrants subtly evoke the natural harmony and beauty that surround Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Swiss Jura mountains.

“Harmony in everything is, and has always been, a blend of mathematics and poetry. It’s a balance to which nature has long held the secrets – and a deep belief that Jaeger-LeCoultre and I share and apply to our work. This is the approach that I took when creating my four new pastries that pay homage to the Golden Ratio,” says Nina. “The creative spirit also understands that aesthetics has an impact on what we feel – so the visual forms of my pastries influence the perception of flavour: it’s the promise of unleashing poetry from the first bite.”

Brooklyn-based lettering artist Alex Trochut unveiled the new 1931 Alphabet specially created for Jaeger-LeCoultre. Celebrated for the way that he harnesses the visual potential of language to redefine typography, Alex turned to Art Deco as his stylistic springboard for the new lettering. “It’s a real pleasure to collaborate with Jaeger-LeCoultre on this project and reveal the new 1931 alphabet in the setting of the Reverso 1931 Café”, said Alex.

During the evening, a DJ set was provided by 5-time Grammy winning, Oscar winning, director, author and musician Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the drummer and band leader for The Roots who serve as the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Also among the guests was New York-based artist Michael Murphy, pioneer of the perceptual art movement. In 2021, marking the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, he created the installation Space Time, which transports its viewers through the three physical dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time. Both artists are collaborating with Jaeger-LeCoultre under the aegis of its Made of Makers programme – an ongoing series of collaborations with artists, designers and craftsmen from disciplines outside watchmaking, which explores and extends the dialogue that exists between horology and art.

The Reverso 1931 Café offers a collection of pastries specially designed by the Paris-based chef Nina Métayer – also an alumnus of Made of Makers – to echo the Art Deco aesthetic of the interior design, and featuring flavours from Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux, the home of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The Reverso 1931 Café will be open at 729 Madison Avenue until Tuesday 22 November, then will become nomadic throughout the city, making appearances in Soho and Bryant Park between November 25^th and December 2^nd.

An immersive retrospective that leads visitors on a journey through nine decades of timeless modernity, Reverso Stories has previously welcomed thousands of visitors in Shanghai and Paris. It explores the creative and cultural universe of this exceptional timepiece and features a specially commissioned art installation by the American artist Michael Murphy, as well as many historic artefacts and a selection of milestone Reverso watches from the earliest time-only models to the ground-breaking Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185. The exhibition invites visitors to experience the story of Reverso through four different themes: its origins; style and design; innovation and craftsmanship.

After touring the exhibition, Kim Woo-Bin said: “It’s a great pleasure to discover the Reverso Stories exhibition in Seoul. It is a unique cultural experience and the way the story is told through four different themes brings it to life in a fascinating way. It’s very impressive to see so many archive materials and heritage documents that are rarely shown in public, as well as historic and modern Reverso watches.”

Seen in Korea for the first time, Michael Murphy’s installation Space Time is an enthralling rendition of the Reverso Nonantième that transports visitors through the three physical dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time. Another highlight of the exhibition is the 1931 Café, a chic setting designed in homage to the Art Deco origins of Reverso, which offers a special menu of sweets and cakes created exclusively for Jaeger-LeCoultre by the Parisian pastry chef Nina Métayer.

The “Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931” exhibition and the 1931 Café will be open from May 25^th to June 12^th on Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 8:30pm and on the weekend from 11:00am to 9:00pm at S FACTORY, 11 Yeonmujang 15-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 

The exhibition is free to the public, booking is recommended at THE REVERSO STORIES 전시회 서울 | Jaeger-LeCoultre (thereversostoriesseoul.com). Audio guides are available for the exhibition. 

Displayed over five floors, the "Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931" exhibition explores the creative and cultural universe of one of the world's most recognisable and celebrated wristwatches. The exhibition continues with a retrospective featuring the history of the Reverso told through four themes, from its origins to the present day. A highlight of this exhibition is the 1931 Café, an elegant setting designed in homage to Art Deco, which offers a special menu of sweets and cakes created by the Parisian pastry chef Nina Métayer.

Among the guests, acclaimed British actor and long-term Friend of the Maison Nicholas Hoult learned more about the iconic Reverso timepiece while wearing the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds in green. Nicholas Hoult can most recently be seen in the critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Emmy nominated Hulu series, THE GREAT. The new season is set to premiere on Friday, 19^th November for which he also serves as an Executive Producer.

American artist Michael Murphy sported the Reverso Tribute Nonantième, the timepiece chosen to be represented through SPACETIME, an art installation created by him for Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Actress Fala Chen and French actress Camille Razat also discovered the history of a watch of exceptional design and a destiny spanning nine decades.

The "Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931" exhibition and the 1931 Café will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 21^st October to 24^th December 2021 at 15 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.

Entry to the exhibition is free to the public.

Reservations are recommended and can be made on www.exposition-reverso.com

Audio guides are available for the exhibition. 

“We invite you to join us on a journey – one that began in 1931. Born at the height of the Art Deco era, the Reverso watch has become a cult object over time, a symbol of style and elegance. May this be an unforgettable journey of discovery for you," said Catherine Rénier in an opening speech that immediately set the tone. It is an invitation to travel through a world of Art Deco style, Parisian chic and the French art of living.

A highlight of this exhibition is Café 1931, an elegant setting designed in homage to Art Deco, which offers a special menu of sweets and cakes created by the Parisian pastry chef Nina Métayer – who was also present at the inauguration.

Actor, film director, Nicolas Maury, actor Djebril Zonga, as well as artist Inès Mélia, were also among the well-known figures present, who enjoyed discovering the history of a watch of exceptional design and a destiny spanning nine decades.

Displayed over five floors, the "Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931" exhibition explores the creative and cultural universe of one of the world’s most recognisable and celebrated wristwatches. An immersive and sensory experience, it begins with an art installation specially commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre from the American artist Michael Murphy.

The exhibition continues with a retrospective featuring the history of the Reverso told through four themes, from its origins to the present day. Guests were able to admire an amazing selection of Reverso models that have left their mark on history and that continue to keep alive the legend of this piece that has become a benchmark in design.

The "Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931" exhibition and the 1931 Café will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 21^st October to 24^th December 2021 at 15 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.

Entry to the exhibition is free to the public.

Reservations are recommended and can be made on www.exposition-reverso.com

Audio guides are available for the exhibition. 

A unique and timeless expression of the Art Deco movement, the legend of the Reverso began on the polo fields of India, where the idea of a case that could be flipped over was born. With its revolutionary design and immaculate craftsmanship, the Reverso was immediately embraced by trendsetters from all walks of life, quickly transcending its original purpose. Deftly combining form and function, it is one of the most recognisable watches in the world.

The “Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931” exhibition is an opportunity to explore the cultural and creative universe of this design icon, through an immersive sensory experience that embraces a pop-up boutique, a fascinating retrospective, an Art Deco café and a hands-on workshop. Featuring a specially commissioned art installation by the American artist Michael Murphy, and a selection of famous Reverso watches, from the earliest time-only models to the new Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185, this original concept tells the story of Reverso through four key themes.

The Reverso, in four chapters – and a new art commission

The journey begins with the Story of an Icon, retelling the tale of the Reverso’s origins through rarely seen archive materials and heritage documents from the Jaeger-LeCoultre collection, as well as a selection of milestone Reverso watches, from the first 1931 model to the latest Reverso Tribute piece. A specially commissioned film transports the viewer inside the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, tracing each step in the creation of a Reverso through the words of the artisans and watchmakers themselves.

The Story of Style & Design looks at the Reverso watch from an aesthetic perspective. A quintessential example of Art Deco design, the rectangular shape of the reversible case is accentuated by clean lines and elegant curves; its dimensions determined by the rules of the golden ratio. To illustrate the stylistic evolution of the Reverso, examples for men and women are presented, each embodying its distinctive style in bold and often unexpected ways.

A Story of Innovation highlights the insatiable spirit of invention that characterises the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture. The Reverso was the result of a brilliant idea that took shape in the hands of French engineer René-Alfred Chauvot, whose design was submitted to the Paris patent office on 4 March 1931. Since the 1990s, the legendary Art Deco watch has welcomed emblematic complications, including the first rectangular minute repeater, the retrograde chronograph and the Gyrotourbillon, as well as the double-dial Duoface and Duetto models. Enhanced over the years by new materials and numerous interpretations, this technical creativity has culminated in the extraordinary four-face Reverso Quadriptyque in 2021.

The Story of Craftsmanship pays tribute to the engravers, gem-setters, enamellers and guillochage masters of the Manufacture, revealing how they have unleashed the full potential of the Reverso as a canvas for artistic expression and personalised messages. From historic timepieces, such as those belonging to Amelia Earhart and General Douglas MacArthur, to modern-day High Jewellery and miniature-painted models, these pieces provide special insight into how the Reverso has itself been telling the stories of its owners, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

A special highlight of the exhibition, the Spacetime art installation makes its European debut in Paris. Commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre from the American artist Michael Murphy to coincide with the 90th year of Reverso, it transports visitors through the three physical dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time. Viewing the installation is a bewitching and multifaceted experience that, in the words of the artist: “explodes into myriad elements that tell the story of the Reverso Tribute Nonantième and its inner workings”.

The 1931 Café

Before or after the exhibition, visitors can enjoy a delicious break at the 1931 Café, an elegant and welcoming Art Deco setting. The elegant black and white décor, reminiscent of the 1930s, is a feast for the eyes, while a special menu created by the young Parisian pastry chef Nina Métayer will delight the taste buds. Designed to evoke the aesthetic codes of Art Deco, these exceptional sweet treats are an invitation to travel through the aromas and flavours of the Vallée de Joux: mountain berries, nuts, honey, herbs and chocolate.

The Atelier d’Antoine

To complete the exhibition, the Atelier d’Antoine – named after the Manufacture’s founder – has been specially relocated to Paris, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy a unique, hands-on adventure with the Reverso. Together with a watchmaker and instructor, this workshop combines interactive theoretical learning with practical training.

The “Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931” exhibition and the 1931 Café will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 21 October to 24 December at 15 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8^th arrondissement of Paris. The exhibition is free to the public, but booking is recommended at www.exposition-reverso.com

Audio guides are available for the exhibition. 

The Atelier d’Antoine workshops can be accessed for a fee (pre-reservation at www.exposition-reverso.com or with the following QR code)

An Homage to Art Deco

Born in the 1920s, Art Deco style was distinguished by a streamlined geometry that rejected traditional ornamentation and perfectly captured the spirit of modernity and progress that defined its time. Created in 1931 and infused with this same spirit, the Reverso was a radical departure from the norms of traditional watch design. Its ingenious functionality and highly distinctive aesthetic epitomised the progressive values that had transformed every area of design, from architecture, automobiles and graphic art, to furniture, films and fashion.

As a quintessential expression of Art Deco style, 1931 Café will evoke the elegant interior of a 1930s ocean liner and the glamour of a film set. Using a black-and-white palette and infused with a warm and flattering light, the design incorporates signature Art Deco materials – chrome, velvet, glass and lacquered wood – and features a marble floor with an inlaid geometric pattern typical of the era. Every detail has been custom-designed, from the frosted-glass chandelier dominating the centre of the room, to the chairs featuring three metal bands that echo the three gadroons on a Reverso case.

A Unique Collaboration with Chef Nina Métayer

Completing the design, a special collection of cakes and pastries has been created by Nina Métayer. Twice named Pastry Chef of the Year, the young Paris-based chef is celebrated for her originality, artistry and exceptional flavours. For 1931 Café, Chef Métayer has designed these sweet treats not only to echo the Art Deco aesthetic of the interior design but also to take guests on a journey to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Vallée de Joux. By using flavours from the Valley, such as mountain berries, nuts and honey – and, of course, Swiss chocolate – she is inviting guests to experience the world through different flavours, as well as to enjoy pastry that has been elevated to a finely handcrafted art form. Among the pieces created exclusively for 1931 Café are a delightful surprise that alludes to the snowy landscape of the Jura in winter while hiding a burst of summer fruit in its centre, and an elegant, rectangular confection of hazelnuts and chocolate that pays direct tribute to Art Deco style.

“What appealed to me greatly about this collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre was the idea of bringing together two very different expressions of craftsmanship in one project,” says Nina Métayer. “The pastry chef and the watchmaker share the same deep values and our gestures are driven by the same desire: not to create for ourselves but to excel for the pleasure of the recipient.”

From Paris to Shanghai – a Story of Style

The two cities chosen as locations for 1931 Café played significant roles in the story of Art Deco. Paris was its birthplace, with prototypical elements of the new style first appearing in the city’s architecture and applied arts in the 1920s. The defining moment came in 1925, when the French capital hosted the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. This was the catalyst for the global flowering of a style that remained dominant throughout the 1930s – although the term Art Deco, derived from the exhibition’s name, was coined by art historians only in the late 1960s.

In the history of Shanghai, Art Deco also has a unique place. Blending East and West, the distinctive ‘Chinese Art Deco’ style blossomed during the 1930s, as the city became a social, cultural and economic hub of East Asia. This heritage makes it especially fitting to inaugurate the 1931 Café in Shanghai, offering its residents and visitors the opportunity to experience the aesthetic and cultural world that gave birth to the Reverso design.

Opening from 13th June until 15th August, the 1931 Café will be located at K11, the art and fashion hub in the centre of Shanghai. In the autumn, as 1931 Café, it will be recreated in a new location in the heart of Paris.