Jaeger-LeCoultre: Art Deco heritage, great icons and a new version of the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179

For over 190 years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been building its legend step by step, based on craftsmanship, innovation and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Few watchmaking brands can boast such a deep connection to their place of origin. The Vallée de Joux, a quiet valley in the Swiss Jura, has been considered for decades the cradle of the most demanding mechanical complications. It was there that Antoine LeCoultre set up a small workshop, which over the next 200 years became one of the world’s most important manufacturers and a true heart of innovation. In retrospect, it can be said that without Jaeger-LeCoultre, the history of haute horlogerie would have been completely different: the brand has created over 1,200 of its own calibres, developed some of the most technically complex mechanisms and trained generations of masters who later went on to work for various Swiss watchmaking houses.

The brand’s recognition also grew thanks to the people who wore it. Charlie Chaplin received a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch as a gift in 1953, and a restored copy of the same reference is still in the archives. Cary Grant, a symbol of Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, wore a Reverso in his private life and on film sets, just as actress Amelia Earhart wore a model created especially for her. In the decades that followed, the Reverso and other models from the brand appeared on the wrists of artists, diplomats, architects and people who, like the creators from the Vallée de Joux, valued something much deeper than the typical sign of prestige in its discreet form: the intelligence of the design, its proportions and the purity of its craftsmanship.

Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s flagship icon, was born in 1931 in response to an unusual challenge. Officers playing polo in India requested a watch that could withstand the impact of a ball without losing its elegance. The answer was a swivelling case that could cover the glass and protect the dial in a matter of seconds. This mechanism, simple in form, has become one of the most recognisable in the history of watchmaking. Today’s collectors wear the Reverso not only for its history, but also for the genius of its design, which has remained unchanged for over 90 years.

With the advent of the 1990s, the Reverso underwent another stage of development. Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmakers introduced complex complications, which ultimately led to the creation of the Duoface system in 1994 – one of the brand’s most impressive patents, offering two different time zones on two dials of a single watch. Over the years, Reverso has become not only a symbol of Art Deco, but also the ideal model for the most spectacular mechanisms. It was in this line that the Gyrotourbillon, a multi-axis tourbillon, was first used, which at the time of its debut changed the way the industry thought about the precision and aesthetics of movement.

The most discerning collectors know how unique a challenge it is to combine grand complications with a rectangular case, where space is more limited than in the classic round form. Nevertheless, Jaeger-LeCoultre succeeded in achieving what many considered impossible: creating a multi-axis mechanism with perfect fluidity of rotation, while maintaining the proportions and elegance typical of the Reverso. This approach gave rise to Hybris Artistica, one of the brand’s most prestigious lines, combining grand complications with hand decoration, created by selected masters in the manufactory.

The new version of the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 for 2025 is a continuation of this philosophy. It is a reinterpretation of the model introduced two years earlier, but enriched with black enamel, bolder colours and an 18K rose gold case with a deep, warm tone. The brand has decided to limit the edition to only 10 pieces, which is a clear signal: this is not a watch created to satisfy a broader market, but a precisely targeted proposition for the most demanding, knowledgeable collectors who can appreciate absolute craftsmanship.

At the heart of the construction is once again the multi-axis Gyrotourbillon – one of the most difficult complications in the history of watchmaking. The inner titanium cage rotates every 16 seconds, while the outer structure rotates once per minute. This unusual rhythm, smooth and almost hypnotic, is the result of the work of 123 components, precisely mounted on microscopic ball bearings. There is no traditional bridge in this construction – the Gyrotourbillon ‘levitates’ between the two dials, creating a stunning effect of suspension in space. The mechanism is also equipped with a proprietary hemispherical balance spring and a Gyrolab balance, which reduces air resistance and increases the efficiency of the mechanism.

From a technical point of view, the new model impresses with its precision construction, but its greatest strength lies in its hand-finished decoration. It is one of those watches that showcases the absolute superiority of a manufacturer that has its own masters of every possible technique – skeletonising, lacquering, engraving, micro-sandblasting and laser processing. The rose gold decorations have been laser-hollowed out, leaving a delicate ribbed structure, between which more than 200 fields of lacquer have been applied by hand. This process is so precise that only three masters in the manufactory are capable of performing it, and each piece is created entirely by the hand of a single craftsman, from start to finish. After the layers have been applied, the lacquer is polished to a level perfectly flush with the metal surface, resulting in a smooth, mirror-like surface with extraordinary depth.

The reverse side of the watch has been designed in a completely different spirit – more technical and light, revealing skeletonised bridges and delicately finished elements of the mechanism. The combination of black, graphite and warm shades of rose gold creates a composition that is austere on the one hand and full of subtle contrasts on the other, creating an almost architectural impression in the light.

One of the most surprising elements of the watch remains the patented buckle. This small engineering masterpiece consists of 46 components, weighs nearly 30 grams and allows for micro-adjustment with an accuracy of 0.5 mm. For collectors, this solution is much more than just convenience – it is proof that Jaeger-LeCoultre designs each element not only as part of a watch, but as part of a larger philosophy: the perfection of harmony.

Jaeger-LeCoultre occupies a unique position among the great watchmaking houses. It is not a flashy brand, nor does it flaunt its prestige through mass communication. Its strength has always lain in the knowledge, discretion and trust valued by those who choose its watches. The new version of the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 only reinforces this identity – it is a watch that needs no introduction. Anyone who knows what Gyrotourbillon, Duoface and the history of Reverso from 1931 mean will recognise it as the pinnacle of the manufactory’s capabilities. Those who see it for the first time will recognise it as a work of art.

The new model confirms that Jaeger-LeCoultre remains one of the most important haute horlogerie manufacturers, capable of creating works that combine history, craftsmanship and a contemporary interpretation of elegance. At a time when many brands are opting for flashiness and simplification, the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 focuses on complex construction and handcrafted details that can only be created where tradition and craftsmanship have been cultivated not for decades, but for centuries. This is a watch that shows that there are still things in the industry that are created not to impress the many, but to delight the few.

Author: Luxury Boutique

Photos courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre