The story of the complicated Reverso began in 1991, when Jaeger-LeCoultre marked the watch’s 60th anniversary with the Soixantième. Its first complication, a power reserve, seemed modest on paper but was beautifully executed. The design had just enough flair to make the dial appear far more complex at a glance.

What followed set the tone for a decade of creativity. In 1993, the Reverso Tourbillon made its debut. The following year brought the Minute Repeater, marking the first time the brand fitted this complication into a wristwatch. The Chronograph followed in 1996, then the Géographique in 1998 — a dual-time watch that remains one of the most stylish and clever interpretations of the function. By 2000, a Perpetual Calendar rounded out the lineup. These six pieces formed a collection, each housed in the same rose gold case with a silver dial, limited to 500 sets.

Limited to 500 pieces, the 60th anniversary Soixantième kickstarted the whole incredible collection

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first tourbillon wristwatch from 1993

Reverso Quantième Perpétual

The Reverso has always been known for what it can do in three dimensions. Its flipping case opens up space for watchmakers to build complications that unfold across both sides — sometimes even four, as in the Quadriptyque — layered, dynamic, and playfully complex.

But there’s another perspective to the Reverso that’s just as rewarding and worth seeing in a new light. Collecting Reversos isn’t always about chasing the most complex creation. Sometimes, it’s about the opposite: assembling a set of pieces, each built around a single, beautifully considered complication. Beautiful, because the rectangular case creates a constraint that forces the watchmaker to rethink the display — even something as simple as a chronograph appears entirely differently in a Reverso, as we’ll see later.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph (Image: Revolution©)

It’s rare to see such breadth of complication within a single case design. Blancpain managed in the 1980s with a set of six complicated watches, all sharing the same 33mm round case — a rarity then, and almost unheard of now. Yet the Reverso makes it feel effortless. Even better, it remains instantly recognizable thanks to its distinctive rectangular case.

Of course, not all of these remain in production. Today, we’ll focus on the four Tribute pieces still in the catalogue. And with Jaeger-LeCoultre gradually revisiting some of these pure-play complications — the Chronograph was revived in 2023 — there’s reason to hope we’ll see more of that spirit return in the years ahead.

Reverso Tribute Chronograph

First up is the Reverso Tribute Chronograph, which quickly became one of the most talked-about pieces in the collection after its return in 2023. At first glance, it keeps things remarkably understated. The three pushers on the side hint at something more, but the front dial remains completely clean, with not even a running seconds hand to give anything away.

Reverso Tribute Chronograph in steel, presented in 2023

The chronograph only reveals itself when you turn the watch over. The reverse side carries a central dial with hour and minute hands, along with a sweeping seconds hand for the chronograph and a retrograde minutes counter set at six o’clock. What makes it clever is that this side isn’t just about the chronograph. It also tells time and works perfectly as a standalone face.

Notably, the back also reveals the movement. To keep everything legible and balanced, the brand paid careful attention to the design. The silver, black, and red accents around the central ring add depth and help the display read easily at a glance. Meanwhile, the lollipop counterweight on the chronograph seconds hand adds a playful touch and is satisfying to watch in motion.

Reverso Tribute Chronograph in pink gold

Currently, there are three color combinations available. The regular versions come with a blue dial on steel or a black dial on rose gold, which looks striking and refined. But the most special of all is the pink-on-pink version, where rose gold is used not just for the case but also for the guilloché dial — and even the movement.

Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar

Jaeger-LeCoultre first introduced the perpetual calendar complication to the Reverso in 2000, with a relatively unusual layout for this type of watch. The front displayed the time along with less essential indicators like the leap year and day-night display, while the back was a full calendar — triple counters, including one with retrograde hands. It was nicely executed on the reverse side, allowing the complexity of the calendar to shine without the clutter of time-telling.

Today, the calendar model in production is the Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar, which arguably has a prettier front compared to the earlier perpetual calendar. Its layout takes inspiration from mid-20th-century calendar watches, with twin windows at 12 o’clock and a sub-dial at six. It’s symmetrical and satisfyingly traditional. While not as complex as a perpetual calendar, the Duoface Calendar is no less charming, and certainly more accessible to many enthusiasts, which is a plus.

Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon

The first Reverso Tourbillon was introduced over 30 years ago in 1993, and over the years it has accompanied the growth of the brand’s complication expertise. In 2008, the Reverso became the first case to house the Gyrotourbillon 2, the second iteration of the brand’s multi-axis tourbillon. The Gyrotourbillon 2 was also the first in the series to feature a three-dimensional spherical hairspring, usually found in marine chronometers, and it is certainly a sight to watch within the tourbillon cage. It is not just a tourbillon watch but also incorporates several elaborate mechanisms, including a patented torque limitation device to ensure accurate timekeeping.  

Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2

The original Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 was a gigantic watch on the wrist, but it looked the part for what was then a landmark complication — a multi-axis tourbillon was something new and exciting, and this was one of the pioneering pieces. In 2016, it was updated with a smaller case and simpler aesthetics, showing less of the mechanics, though it remains an exotic watch.  

The watch we are highlighting, however, is a tourbillon you can wear daily. The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon may look simple on the front, except for an opening at six, but the other face reveals more of the movement and a full view of the tourbillon cage and bridge. Just like the Chronograph, it offers two sides of a watch, and you can choose which one to wear depending on mood and occasion.

Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater

Last but not least is one of the Reverso’s most significant complications, the minute repeater. In fact, the very first Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch with a minute repeater was a Reverso, introduced in 1994.

It should be impossible to squeeze a minute repeater into a Reverso, but that didn’t stop Jaeger-LeCoultre

The original was a single-face watch with a closed back, but the modern Tribute Minute Repeater takes a completely different approach. It has two fully skeletonised faces, revealing the intricate movement from both sides. It’s a spectacular sight, especially when the repeater mechanism is in action — always fascinating to watch as it chimes.

90 years after the birth of the Reverso, and 150 years after creating its first minute repeater, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater in 2021

The Tribute Minute Repeater is undoubtedly a statement piece. With its iconic case and strikingly open movement, it stands out in any collection.