SIHH 2016 – Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon for the 85th anniversary (live photos)

Jaeger-LeCoultre already proved that they are capable of housing a Gyrotourbillon in a dress watch. But it was a big watch, measuring 55mm by 36mm. The platinum case added to the weight. At the 85^th birthday of the Reverso they have taken the combination to the next level by trimming width and thickness by 30%. Here is the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon.

The Reverso

The reverse watch was invented in 1931 as a solution for British officers based in India who were capable of watching the time and playing polo at the same time. The patent described a watch that “can slide on its base and flip over on itself”. Over time, the Reverso has become an icon of the watch industry and arguably Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most famous watch. During the past 85 years, JLC has surprised us with new interpretations and reiterations of the Reverso. See here for more information on Reverso watches produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre. (see our historical article about the Reverso for more).

Movement of the Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon

The Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon houses a 3Hz manually-wound Calibre 179, which is developed and produced in-house. An all-new tourbillon has been developed for this edition. An external driving mechanism drives the rotation of the bi-axial flying tourbillon, which makes it more visible to the viewer, both via the front and the back. The two carriages – that have been further slimmed down – rotate in circles of 1 minute (external carriage) and 12,65 seconds (internal carriage) and ensure that the position of the watch does not influence precision. A full rotation of the inner carriage of the Gyrotourbillon 2 took 18,75 seconds.

There is a clear view on the in-house hemispherically shaped balance spring. Looking at it may work better than counting sheep if you can’t sleep. But make sure you do not drop your watch!

The balance-wheel is non-circular to reduce air friction. It is shaped like the Jaeger-LeCoultre anchor symbol. The Manufacture claims a decisive breakthrough in terms of precision.

Note: The tourbillon, invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795, aims to equalize the impact of the position of a watch on balance wheel, hair-spring and escapement when placed in a vertical position. The “ordinary” tourbillon is usually mounted between two bridges, and rotates once every minute. Flying tourbillons compensate for multiple positions by rotating across multiple axis. However, they are usually held in one position and cantilevered. The Gyrotourbillon is installed inside two ultra light aluminum carriages, the outer one rotating once every sixty seconds, the inner one once every 24. It makes the entire structure independent of the actual position of the watch. See: https://monochrome.website-lab.nl/search/gyrotourbillon/

Dials and Case

The Duo Concept also applies to the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon. The front shows a white round dial with Dauphine-type hands indicating hours and minutes. It features a decorated day/night indicator in the upper left corner. It seems to extend from the hours/minutes dial. The seconds are displayed as a graduated disc surrounding – and rotating at the cadence of – the Gyrotourbillon. A small blue arrow indicates the applicable second. The sunburst guilloche pattern around the tourbillon and seconds is hand-crafted. A nice detail is the visibility of the anchor-shaped balance wheel and the balance spring in the upper right corner.

The Dual-Time display and Gyrotourbillon can be admired when you swivel the case. Swivelling the case of a Reverso is always fun. In this case even more so because it shows the entirely open-worked movement with hand-decorated bridges. The decoration work is amazing and even more difficult than before due to the smaller size of the watch and the size of the bridges – compared to the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 that was launched in 2008. The date indicator is located in the upper right corner. A futuristic seconds hand is driven by the tourbillon.

Both dials look balanced and are a joy to watch. First, your attention is attracted to the hours/minutes dial and Gyrotourbillon. And then you start to notice the details: the seconds, the decoration, the balance wheel, the lines on the case, the day/night indicator, the gear train. Especially the back dial is a feast to watch.

The cradle – the part that holds the case – has been decorated with a hand-crafted sunburst guilloche pattern. A round, not-engraved part aims to accentuate the tourbillon. Lugs are slightly bent to ensure a more comfortable fit on the wrist.

The Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon will be produced in a limited edition of 75 pieces in platinum.