JAEGER-LECOULTRE – Introducing Reverso Novelties

Key Highlights

• Four Reverso models refreshed with reduced proportions truer to the 1931 original
• Calibres 846 and 844 receive 16 mechanical enhancements, including a silicon escapement
• Power reserve extended from 38 to 50 hours in the Monoface and Duetto lines
• Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds reinterpreted in a new medium size (42.9 mm × 25.5 mm)
• New ‘Double Set’ Duetto option diamonds set on both sides of the case
• Reverso Classic Monoface ‘Origin’ features diamond-set gadroons in a 32.5 mm steel case

A Return to Classical Proportions

The Reverso has always occupied an unusual position in watchmaking: born from a functional brief — protecting a polo player’s dial by flipping the case against the strap — it arrived fully formed as an Art Deco object of rare coherence. Since 1931, its identity has been preserved across more than 50 different calibres. The 2026 novelties, presented at Watches and Wonders, continue that lineage by returning to smaller, more considered proportions that reconnect with the collection’s origins.

The Reverso Classic Small Monoface (35.78 mm × 21 mm × 7.4 mm) and Reverso Classic Small Duetto (34.2 mm × 21 mm × 8.7 mm) both retain the guilloché sunray dial centre, crisply defined Arabic numerals, and the chemin de fer minutes track that are among the design’s most durable signatures. On the Monoface, the ‘JL’ logo transitions from transfer printing to an applied execution — a small but telling refinement. The blank metal caseback on all Monoface models remains available for personalised engraving or lacquer work.

The Duetto’s Modernised Reverse

The Small Duetto’s reverse dial has been quietly updated: the absence of numerals at 12 and 6 amplifies the sunrayed centre, while applied double-sunray indexes reinforce the guilloché outer section. More than 20 production steps are required to complete the two dials. A new ‘Double Set’ steel configuration extends diamond coverage to both sides of the case — 60 brilliant-cut stones totalling approximately 0.56 carats — an option that places the model in proximity to the gem-set jewellery watches of houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels.

Sixteen Enhancements to the Pillar Calibres

Calibre 846 (Monoface) and Calibre 844 (Duetto) are among the most enduring movements in the Manufacture’s catalogue of over 1,400 in-house calibres. For 2026, engineers have made 16 targeted changes to each. The most consequential is the introduction of a silicon escapement, which reduces friction, improves resistance to magnetism, and raises overall precision. An enlarged barrel diameter — achieved without increasing the calibre’s footprint — extends power reserve from 38 to 50 hours.

Calibre 854 in the Duoface

The Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds carries the manually wound Calibre 854, offering a 42-hour power reserve. Its front dial displays local time in silvered opaline; the reverse shows a second time zone against a blue-grey sunray satin-brushed lacquer dial — a colour new to the Duoface line. At 42.9 mm × 25.5 mm, the case returns to a ‘medium’ scale closer to the 1994 Duoface originals, correcting what had become an oversized silhouette in more recent iterations.

The ‘Origin’ and the Duoface in Context

Introduced in 2025 and continued here, the Reverso Classic Monoface ‘Origin’ references the first feminine Reverso directly. Its 32.5 mm × 16.3 mm steel case is the smallest in the current lineup, powered by quartz Calibre 657 and set with 28 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.13 carats) on the gadroons. The piece can be worn with the dial facing outward or flipped to display the blank caseback, a deliberate gesture toward wearing the watch as jewellery rather than instrument.

Across all four models, Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s signature quick-change interchangeability system allows strap swaps without tools. The Duoface is delivered with a black calfskin strap designed by Casa Fagliano; the Monoface and Duetto models are offered with strap-and-bracelet packages combining alligator and polished steel or 18k pink gold options depending on case material.

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