A Tale of Two Dials: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph Ref. Q389848J

We’ve said it before and will say it again, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a criminally under-appreciated brand. Often referred to as the watchmaker’s watchmaker by those in the know, JLC is known not only for its iconic designs, but also for its incredibly well made, complicated movements. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph, which was released at Watches & Wonders in 2023, is a watch that perfectly encapsulates the everything we love about the brand.

Some have said that JLC leans too hard into the Reverso line, producing too many variants without enough differentiation. And while that may be true for some pieces in the collection, it is most definitely not the case for the Tribute Chronograph. The watch blends JLC’s iconic Art Deco design with modern touches in a way that, I would argue, has reinvigorated the collection. The Tribute Chronograph is definitely the most interesting Reverso to be released in recent years.

History

As most of you will know, the Reverso story begins in India back in 1931 with British army officers who needed a watch that could withstand the rigors of regular polo matches. To protect the glass crystal, JLC put the entire case on a hinge that could be flipped over during play to ensure no damage was done. When flipped over, only a steel caseback would be visible. A pretty ingenious solution to a real problem of the time.

Over the years (and as polo has become less mainstream), the Reverso came to be seen more as a fashionable wristwatch, rather than a sporting necessity. This gave JLC the opportunity to expand the model line (often in ways that didn’t necessarily make sense for polo). Most of the advances didn’t happen until fairly recently, however, and the first Reverso that featured a complication (the Soixantième which featured a power reserve indicator on the dial) wasn’t released until 1991.

Perhaps the biggest shift in the Reverso collection occurred in 1994 when Jaeger introduced the Duoface. The model dramatically broke away from the traditional Reverso formula and offered two contrasting dials – one on each side of the reversible case – capable of displaying two completely independent time-zones. The Duoface offered JLC collectors the unique ability to have two distinct watches in one traditional package. JLC has continually expanded the Reverso collection since the introduction of the Duoface, adding numerous new models that feature different complications. The brand even released a very limited Reverso Quadriptyque with dials and complications, not only on both sides of the reversible case, but also on both sides of the actual case.

Design Details

All of this history leads us to the Reverso Tribute Chronograph. It’s clear from first glance that the new model draws inspiration from the Duoface models that preceded it. It has two dials, one a sunray blue, the other openworked, however the Reverso Tribute Chronograph is not a Duoface in the strictest sense because it only displays one timezone. The wearer sets the time once and both dials display the same time. The secondary dial shows the time, but the chronograph is the real star of the show. Displaying the time on the “reverse” dial is smart, as most people will prefer to wear the watch with the skeletonized dial showing.

That is not to say that the more traditional blue sunray dial is anything but superb. It really is stunning, and a lighter and more understated blue than you see from most of the offerings from other luxury brands. The color, paired with the fairly sterile dial, seems intentional to me because what lurks on the reverse side is anything but subtle. As with all Reversos, the Art Deco vibes are strong, seen in the rectangular stainless steel case, dagger hands, and indexes.

Flip the blue dial over, and you are greeted with the real star of this watch, the openworked chronograph dial. The hands and hour markers match the main dial, tying the watch together nicely. That’s where the similarities end though. On this dial, you can see the inner workings of the watch as well as the chronograph, but unlike many skeletonized dials, the Tribute Chronograph’s is extremely legible. The chronograph’s seconds and minutes subdials have a black ring, and the hands are blue, increasing legibility.

While the watch is a little bit larger than your traditional Reverso at 29.9mm in width, 49.4mm lug-to-lug, and 11mm thick, the watch packs a chronograph into a fairly small package. It’s the two dials that make the even larger than normal size “worth it” though. Because the two dials are so distinct, this watch is the perfect one to wear on formal occasions (with the blue sunray dial exposed) or when you’re out and about (with the skeletonized dial exposed). You’ll be hard pressed to find a more versatile watch than this.

Inner Workings

Inside the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph is the in-house Manufacture Calibre 860. The hand wound caliber has a power reserve of 52 hours and two unique aspects that set it apart from the rest of JLC’s movements.

First, Jaeger has managed to use a single movement in the watch, meaning that in order for the time to be displayed correctly on both dials, it has to run in the opposite direction on one of the dials. This is a unique feat and one that I find more interesting than a standard Duoface to be honest.

Secondly, because of the slim nature of rectangular watches, there isn’t a ton of real estate for a chronograph. How did, JLC address this? Well, beyond using a two subdial chronograph, they included a retrograde complication in the chronograph’s 30-minute counter. Located at 6 o’clock, when this counter hits 30, it snaps back to 0 instantaneously. It’s an elegant solution to the challenge of fitting a chronograph into a Reverso case.

Personality

As the title of this review implies, this watch is really “a tale of two dials”. It’s not often that you see a watch with two distinct, almost diametrically opposed personalities, that actually fit together seamlessly. It isn’t easy to blend the vintage and the modern together in a way that just “works”, but the Reverso is a canvas that lends itself to this in a way no other watch really can. If you are looking for a one watch collection, a Reverso, and particularly this Reverso, is a great choice.

Versus the Competition

Since I consider the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph to be in a category almost entirely of its own, it’s hard to offer many viable alternatives.

However, if the openworked dial of the Tribute Chronograph is what really speaks to you, perhaps the Santos de Cartier Skeleton Ref. WHSA0028 might be an option for you. Like the JLC, this Cartier has a very legible skeletonized dial with green Roman numeral indices built into the Cartier Caliber 9611 MC movement. Further, like the Reverso, this Santos is also a modern interpretation of a watch that was designed in the early 1900’s. It is also more widely available and just a touch less expensive.

If you are more of a Reverso purist, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso “Tribute to 1931” London Flagship Limited Edition might be a better fit for you. This Reverso was designed to pay homage to the original Reverso that was released in 1931, but with a twist. Like the first model, the dial only says “Reverso” and it is not a Duoface. The model was a limited edition of just 26 pieces released to commemorate the opening of JLC’s London Flagship, and features a British Racing Green dial and an engraving of Big Ben and Westminster Palace on the reverse. While it’s not a 1-to-1 recreation of the original Reverso, it has a lot of the vintage hallmarks.

Final Thoughts

When buying their next watch, many collectors are often torn between two or three different timepieces. When you buy a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, though, you are really getting two watches in one. If that’s not an argument for adding a Reverso to your collection, I’m not sure what is! I love this watch because it gives me one simple and one intricate dial, both equally beautiful. Kudos to JLC for continuing to iterate on the nearly 100-year-old Reverso design!

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