Amanico, a revered voice in the WatchProSite community, offers an insightful first look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Nonantième, released at Watches and Wonders 2021. His detailed review not only showcases the aesthetic appeal of this 90th-anniversary piece but also critically examines its horological innovations and design choices in the context of its illustrious predecessors, the Soixantième and Septantième. This article delves into the community's reception, highlighting key points of discussion and debate surrounding JLC's latest Reverso.
Here it is, finally, this Reverso Tribute Nonantième, the Anniversary piece from Jaeger Lecoultre to celebrate the 90th birthday of THE Icon.
It is very welcome, as we had a Soixantième in 1991, a Septantième in 2001, but no official " Huitantième " in 201, even if the Tribute To Reverso 1931 can be considered as an Anniversary piece.
Let's have a look at the illustrious predecessors, first.
The original Reverso was a small watch ,with a 38 x 23 mm case. Small but powerful with its " less is more " dial:
The Reverso Soixantième offered a totally different approach, with some important firsts:
- First movement in 14Kt Rose Gold.
- First Reverso to use the slightly GT case ( 42, 25 x 26 x 9 mm ).
- First Reverso to house complications ( date and power reserve ).
- First Reverso to use a display case back.
- And last but not least, the first of a wonderful saga of 6 sublime limited editions.
The Reverso Septantième offered its lot of innovations, too:
- First movement in 18 Kt White Gold.
- First Reverso to use the XGT case ( 46 x 29 x 12 mm ) in platinum.
- First 8 Days manual winding movement.
- First Grande Date.
The Reverso Tribute Nonantième had to distinguish itself from the other Reverso, and you know that with Jaeger Lecoultre, everything is possible.
Jaeger Lecoultre played the card of the discretion, for the Nonantième.
Indeed, they used the case of the Reverso Tribute Moon , issued in 2017, which has exactly the same size ( 49, 4 x 29, 9 mm ), The Tribute Nonantième being slightly thicker ( 11, 72 mm versus 10, 9 mm ), and they opted for pink gold:
The Recto makes us think of the Tribute Moon, treated in a different way ( the grained dial has been replaced by a silver sunray dial, applied indices but in rose gold, same changes for the hands ), and a major addition is that the circular date of the Tribute Moon has been changed for a Grande Date, and they added a small seconds around the moon phase.
The raison d'être of the Nonantième is on the verso.
Here you have a digital semi jumping hour hand, minutes on a rotating disc, and a night and day indicator, all these informations being displayed in a sublime decorum, with golden stars on lacquered blue disc, surrounded in a sculptural way, thanks to gadroons shaped like an " 8 ". Gadroons are part of the Reverso DNA, but it is the first time it surrounds the time functions.
To avoid any confusion, the time displayed on the verso is not a dual time. It gives the same time as the recto, but in a different way.
So, now that we explained all that, we still have to understand what's a digital semi jumping hour.
A jumping hour is an hour which instantaneously changes at 12. A semi jumping hour is an hour which takes some time to change.
Here is the explanation I got from the Manufacture:
" Our team of constructors and engineers have had the brilliant idea to integrate a blocking-lever between the arms of the hour starwheel. This allows for a jumping display of the hour, while guaranteeing the accuracy of the rotating hour disc. This blocking-lever is integrated between the arms of the hour starwheel through a small notch, which only frees the disc when passing from one hour to the next. This indentation system, however, does not allow it to be precise down to the second. This is why it is a semi-instantaneous display, which takes a total of 6 minutes to switch from one indication to the next. "
I would also add that it doesn't " eat " the power reserve of the movement, like it is the case with a traditional / classic jumping hour.
This Reverso Tribute Nonantième houses a new movement, the Cal 826, which is manual winding, with a power reserve of 42 hours, made of 230 parts.
The Reverso Tribute Nonantième is a limited edition of 190 pieces, exclusively available at the Jaeger Lecoultre Boutiques.
Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,
Best.
Nicolas
