Jaeger-LeCoultre

Many wondered, and among them, myself, which could be the Reverso 85th, among all the novelties of this year. 

Jaeger Lecoultre answered me, proudly, that it was the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon. After the Tribute to Reverso 1931 which was the 80th, the Reverso Triptyque as the 75th, the Septantième and the Reverso Soixantième, welcome to the Tribute Gyrotourbillon! 

Tribute to Gyrotourbillon you can also call Gyrotourbillon Four, or, as it is another member of the Hybris Mechanica family, Hybris Mechanica 12. 

This diversification in the names can give you an idea of the incredible richness of the JLC collection, from the past to the present. 

More than a novelty, I would say that the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon is the son of the Gyrotourbillon Two and Three.

From the Two, it took the rectangular case, the concept, and from the Three, the association of a Gyrotourbillon with a night and day indicator. 

Gyrotourbillon Two:

Gyrotourbillon Three:

And from both, the spherical hairspring:

 

And a high degree of decoration.

More than a novelty, I would also say that the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon receives some deep, very deep improvements going in the direction of " bienfacture ", and some interesting details such as a new decoration, and a second time zone.

I will share with you a first look at this watch, and my first impressions, I will review it more in the detail later, when I travel to the Manufacture, but you wouldn't like to wait till this moment, would you?

The first detail which jumps to the eyes when you look at this watch is the superb harmony of the proportions. 

When you think Gyrotourbillon, you immediately fear the case is too thick. Especially when you know the former " Gyros ": 14, 9 mm for the One, 15, 8 mm for the Two, and 15, 5 mm for the Three. Add the carriage of the Reverso and you have some good reasons to have some fears about an excessive thickness... 

What you think is... Wrong. 

One of the most brilliant challenge of the Tribute Gyrotourbillon is to have managed to house it in a relatively, but at least HUMAN case, in terms of thickness, with an important reduction of the size, too. 

Indeed, the new case, made of platinum, is now 51, 1 x 31 x 12, 4 mm big. To give you an idea on how JLC reduced this case, here are the proportions of the Gyrotourbillon 2: 55 x 36 x 15, 5 mm. 

When you have in mind that a Gyrotourbillon turns on two axis on itself, and that it necessarily requires some space, especially in height, these 12, 4 mm are quite impressive. 

The second detail which catches our attention is the decoration of the Tribute Gyrotourbillon.

When the Gyrotourbillon Two played with enamel ( the dial dedicated to Time ) and Hobnail, the Gyrotourbillon Three inaugurated the " hammered " dial. 

The Tribute Gyrotourbillon launches the soleillé decoration on the recto dial, and, for the verso, a sculptural skeleton, both hand made, of course. 

On the recto, the " soleillage " contrasts in a very nice way with the white grained sub dial for the time, which, moreover, receives applied indices, and a newly shaped set of hands, which I'd call " curved dauphine ", while the verso uses conventional but short dauphine hands, facetted. 

On the verso, the contrast let its place for harmony. The second time zone " fuses " with the Gyrotourbillon. 

While on the recto, the time is differentiated, but treated in the same way than the Gyrotourbillon.

Indeed, the Tribute to Gyrotourbillon is a watch to read the time, and to admire it, at the same... Time. 

A precision, the " soleillage " is also present on the internal part of the carriage:

The third detail is the " raison d'être " of this watch: Its Gyrotourbillon. 

Without it, it would be a nice Reverso. With it, this is a magic watch. 

The Cal 179 is the heart and the soul of this watch, differently said, the movement, of course, but also the dial, as it was the case with the Gyrotourbillon Two, with its Cal 174. 

The Gyrotourbillon is, sorry for that evidence, not a simple tourbillon, like many others, but a fascinating ballet, here captured by Foversta:

 

Its internal cage turns in one minute, while its external cage needs 12, 4 seconds for its rotation. Which is faster than the Gyrotourbillon Two which needs 18, 75 seconds. 

Here, the balance wheel is not conventional, as it has been changed for the... Gyrolab, already used in the Extreme Lab One and the Geophysic True Seconds / Universal Time.  

Here, a superb picture to be credited to Evelyne Perroud, of the watchmaker mounting the Gyro Lab:

Made of 375 pieces, the Cal 179 beats at the pace of 21 600 alternances per hour, and has a ( bit short ) power reserve of 40 hours.

The fourth detail: The complications.

On the recto, you have the time and the night and day indicator, while on the verso you have the second time zone, or the reference time, as you want. 

Recto:

 

Verso:

Of course, you already guessed it, the main purpose of this watch is the Gyrotourbillon, not the second time zone, nor the night and day indicator. 

But these complications are nicely integrated, in a balanced way, in their respective dials. 

They don't disturb the harmony of the watch, and they are friendly. 

What about some live pictures, now? 

Here is the series I could take, but no doubt that I will take more during my next trip to the Manufacture.