Hands-On: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute Monoface Steel, Duoface Rose Gold, and Tourbillon Steel

To watch enthusiasts, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reversos are up there with Submariners and Speedmasters in terms of status. They are watches you kind of know about before you even know about them. They are just part of the watch consciousness. They are iconic, if more of an insider’s watch than the previously mentioned sports duo, giving them a little extra appeal and mystique. Jaeger-LeCoultre also isn’t the brand most people start collecting with, but it’s quickly one whose orbit they find themselves in.

As such, if you’re like me, they’ve always been on your “I’ll get one someday list,” if perhaps that day has yet to come. Being a touch on the formal side, I tend not to think of them as often as other watches I admire, but when I come across one in the wild, I’m reminded of just how appealing they are. Clever, reserved, handsome, uniquely stylish, and with a defining novelty that separates them from similarly priced watches, they always feel “just right” when I put one on.

if I ever say no to trying on a tourbillon, check my pulse

Just the other week, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC from here out) added four new models to the Reverso lineup, which Brett Braley covered. One very high-end complication, one precious metal affair, and two steel models in a new case size that has everyone excited. JLC was kind enough to send the quartet over to us for a few days, and, once again, I was reminded of just how lovely they are to wear, but I also learned just how fun they are to photograph (which is not a necessary attribute for a good watch, but certainly helps). As we just covered their launch, for the deets head to that other post, but for some quick hands-on opinions and a whole bunch of photos, continue.

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When a tourbillon comes into the office, it tends to get a little extra attention. Thus, the Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in steel made it to my wrist first. This $100k masterpiece is nothing short of breathtaking and quickly gave me delusions of grandeur. That aside, it’s a great showcase of why the Reverso format is so brilliant. Two watches in one with a haute complication and dual-time zone function, the two faces have wildly different personalities, truly giving two experiences.

One side is the reserved, tried, and true Reverso layout of faceted applied markers, a railroad index, and dauphine hour and minute hands. Set on a smokey gray sunray metallic surface, but for the large tourbillon at six, it would be a classic, conservative dress watch. I’d go so far as to say there is a world in which this side could have hidden the tourbillon entirely to be truly discreet, which would also increase the contrast with the other side. Because when you flip the dial over, it’s party time. Well, my kind of party, at least.

Business Side
A beautiful contraption
Party side

The “reverse” side is pure modern haute hotness. The “dial” is now part of the movement, with a smaller, off-center hour and minute dial that retains the Reveso art deco codes. The movement surface is machined with a Clous de Paris texture, which seems almost industrial in this context versus the “elegant” type often seen on guilloché dials. The tourbillon aperture at six is even more prominent on this side, making room for a large bridge that doubles as a pointer for reading a seconds disk below. A 24-hour disk is visible through skeletonization at the top right corner, adding complexity to this side.

Measuring 45.5mm x 27.4mm x 9.15mm, the Duoface Tourbillon wore well and felt fairly compact. Perhaps because of the two-watches-in-one aspect, the fact that it’s not huge is somehow more surprising. In terms of newness, the novelty of this version is being in steel. The irony of steel luxury models being more collectible at times than their precious counterparts is perhaps a longer topic, but simply aesthetically, I think it does work well on this model as the “reverse” side has an exotic-sports-watch vibe. Sure, if I were paying $100k, I might want white gold or platinum just cause, but I’m also not the target market here.

Not a bad look

The next watch to make it to my wrist was the Tribute Duoface Small Seconds in rose gold. A far more standard variant, it is also a great representation of the Duoface concept while mixing in a little golden decadence. The “tribute” side is rendered in an inky lacquer blue and features rose gold accents, hands, and white printed indexes. A perfect pairing with rose gold, the 20 layers of lacquer give the dial remarkable depth.

The flip side is also in a formal, art-deco style, yet manages to pull off a very different feel. Featuring sunray silver surfaces, there are overlapping circular dials, one for hours and minutes, the other for 24 hours. On a layer above are applied rose gold indexes that emanate from the hour and minute dial to create a sunburst effect. There is a surprising amount of physical depth achieved through the layering, which contrasts nicely with the clean, mirror-like flatness of the blue side.

So photogenic
Lovely depth
inky blue
keeping it classy

I found myself obsessively flipping between the two sides when I was trying it, attempting to determine which I preferred only to realize that: a, I probably shouldn’t do that, and b, I liked both about equal. Off the wrist and in front of a lens, however, the blue side was one of the most stunning dials I’ve photographed. The way the dial shifts from black to blue and the gold markers pop makes it a perfect subject.

On the wrist, this model wore a touch larger as it measures 47mm x 28.3mm x 9.6mm thick. I still found it within reason, but perhaps at the upper limit for this case and my wrist size. That said, it looked amazing, as you’d expect. More formal, naturally, as the rose gold adds that preciousness, yet, I think it could be pulled off as a “business casual” watch. Priced at $25,500 it’s in proper luxury territory, but if you think about it, it’s like two $12,750 watches in one, which starts to sound more reasonable ( 😉 ).

The Reverso Tribute Monoface

While the Tourbillon has the glitz, and the Duoface gold has the glamour, the real star of the recent launch was also the most humble, a new Tribute Monoface in steel. The reason for the fanfare was that JLC decided to resize the model to a modest 40.1mm x 24.4 mm and 7.56mm thick, coming close to the proportions of the first Reversos from 1931. For reference, the previous iterations were 45.6mm x 27.4mm x 8.51mm, so a substantial reduction.

The decrease in size does come with one subtraction, which is that of the sub-seconds, leaving only hours and minutes. This does keep with the “Tribute to Reverso 1931” from 2012, which featured the same movement, the Calibre 822. With that said, the dials are otherwise the same “tribute” layout as the previous models, once again with applied markers, dauphine hands, and a railroad index. There are two versions at launch, opaline silver and sunray blue. The silver is slightly textured, matte white, almost like a finely-toothed paper. The sunray blue has a metallic sheen, which adds some depth.

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Not too small
A deep blue
Flipping out
quite thin

The real joy of the new Monoface is experienced on wrist. Yes, it’s small, but it’s not smol, if you know what I mean. Given the decreased size, it still has a surprising amount of presence. There is probably some sort of equation one could come up with that computes the equivalent size of rectangular and circular watches, but barring that piece of science, I would say it feels akin to a 36mm round watch. This is to say, small for some, but if you like the look and feel of “vintage” watches, this will feel right at home. On my 7” wrist, it didn’t look out of place. That said, the supplied strap would not fit a wrist larger than 7.25”.

Though the Reverso’s style lends itself to being dressy by today’s standards, I found something casual and laid-back about these new Monofaces. They’re easy to wear. You forget they’re on (like, I got worried one had fallen off my wrist once), and they don’t have an overly formal sheen. As someone who enjoys wearing Oxford shirts and casual blazers to work now that it’s fall (thank god), it feels like a natural complement. Perhaps it’s Ralph Lauren casual, but not Under Armor casual, though you do you.

A truly classy timepiece

The new Reverso Tribute Monofaces are priced at $8,900, which seems about right for an entry mechanical JLC in 2024. The new size is pretty ideal, though I think I’d hold out for a Duoface option. Jaeger-LeCoultre

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Zach is the Co-Founder and Executive Editor of Worn & Wound. Before diving headfirst into the world of watches, he spent his days as a product and graphic designer. Zach views watches as the perfect synergy of 2D and 3D design: the place where form, function, fashion and mechanical wonderment come together.
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