Jaeger-LeCoultre

Modernahab
1151

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Then & Now: JLC Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde & Tribute Chronograph

Riding in Tandem
I won’t dwell on the history of the original rose gold Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde, Ref. 270.2.69, issued as a limited edition in 1996, as it’s been covered previously in depth on this forum, and in summary in this 2022 article from the Monochrome Watches web site. I will only say that in addition to being a groundbreaking technical achievement on the part of JLC, the Chronographe Rétrograde is my all-time favorite JLC reference, and perhaps my single most treasured timepiece.



Ref. 270.2.69
The anniversary series of complicated rose gold-cased Grande Taille Reversos, of which Ref. 270.2.69 was a member, was initiated on the Reverso’s 60^th anniversary year of 1991, with the Reverso 60ième. Appropriately, my wife thought to gift me with the current Reverso Tribute Chronograph in stainless steel, Ref. 216.8.S0, for my recent 60^th birthday. Having lived with the 270.2.69 for several years and having had a little bit of wear time with the newer model, I’m experiencing the two as having very distinct identities, despite the commonalities between their movements.


Reverso Tribute Chronograph
The caliber 860 in the Reverso Tribute Chronograph is obviously a direct descendant of the Chronographe Rétrograde’s caliber 829, though with a few significant differences. The plates and bridges on caliber 860, whether in the stainless steel or rose gold case, obviously lack caliber 829’s rose gold finishing. Moreover, unlike caliber 829, the new caliber displays the time on both the recto and the verso side. However, the date and “Arret/Marché” indicator on the recto of Ref. 270.2.69 are lacking in the Tribute Chronograph. I’ve come to suspect that these functional distinctions may contribute as much to the aesthetic differences between the two references as do purely visual design decisions.


Caliber 829 Purists will no doubt revel in the lack of a date window on the Tribute Chronograph, and while some may criticize the recto dial as stark, I find its clean, crisp, faceted applied indices and subtly colored gray-blue, sunray textured dial to be quite effective. The finishing on the Tribute Chronograph’s hands and indices is worth noting. Exceptionally brilliant polishing and precise faceting bring the dial to life when on the wrist in a way that still photography cannot capture. On the other hand, I will say the date window on the Chronographe Rétrograde seems to me well-placed and well-executed, with its own crisply faceted frame and a type font closely matched to the hour numerals. I also very much appreciate the recto-side indication as to whether the chronograph is running. Comparing the two watches, it strikes me that with its additional indications, multiple levels, and fine-textured guilloché work*, the recto dial of the Chronographe Rétrograde leaves the viewer well-prepared for the mechanical complexity on display on the verso. Taking an entirely different tack, the Tribute Chronograph recto seems deliberately designed to maximize contrast with the intricate verso. So, while there is a certain aesthetic consistency between the recto and verso of the Chronographe Rétrograde, flipping the case of the Tribute Chronograph makes for quite the surprise. I take a certain pleasure in the no-doubt calculated shock when the workings of caliber 860 are revealed, and I credit the current JLC design team with great cleverness in engineering this effect.


Caliber 860 I have not so far mentioned what may be the most-discussed contrast between the Chronographe Rétrograde and the Tribute Chronograph: the size of their respective cases. While the Grande Taille case of the Chronographe Rétrograde measures 42mm x 26 mm x 9.5 mm deep, while the Tribute Chronograph is a comparatively massive 49.4mm x 29.9mm x 11.14mm deep. I’d wondered in an earlier post what might have possessed JLC to set caliber 860 in such a large case, especially in light of the apparent trend back away from the gargantuan watches of decades past. Some time spent contemplating the subtle differences between the two movements led to an epiphany (or two) regarding the size of the Tribute Chronograph. While caliber 829 measures 4.5mm high, caliber 860 is a full millimeter taller – perhaps to accommodate the components that connect the hour and minute hands between recto and verso. Then there is that second set of 3-D, faceted dauphin hour and minute hands on the Tribute Chronograph’s verso. Stacked, these hands (along with the faceted applied indices) presumably require about another millimeter of space under the verso crystal. Combining the resultant 11.14mm height of the Tribute Chronograph with the length and width of the Grande Taille case could have yielded the proportions of a brick. The dimensions of the Tribute Chronograph might well be a stratagem for maintaining reasonable height-to-area proportions on the wrist. Further close comparison of the two references revealed yet another possible case (horrible pun!) for the Tribute Chronograph’s dimensions. In lieu of a blank spacer around the caliber 860, the Tribute Chronograph verso echoes the minute track and the applied indices of the recto dial. These go a long way toward improving legibility of the time on the verso, while also providing unifying design cues between the two sides of the watch. Were the faceted indices on the verso retained in a Grande Taille case, their proportions would be awkwardly stubby, as suggested in the cropped and rendered photos below. Granted, all of this is conjecture on my part, but it does at least suggest there may have been solid practical and design considerations behind the size of the Tribute Chronograph.
I should add that in neither of the two watches are the verso sides exemplars of legibility, though the Tribute Chronograph does score over its predecessor on this account. In addition to the minute track and indices, black sectors on the chronograph minutes and seconds chapter rings and corresponding white-painted segments on the chronograph hands result in less squinting when reading elapsed times on the Tribute Chronograph. Operating the two chronograph mechanisms also offers different tactile experiences, though I don’t know how much of this is attributable to the greater age and history of use attaching to my Chronographe Rétrograde. Whatever the cause, the Tribute Chronograph pushers engage with a more distinct (and very audible) click, while the Chronographe Rétrograde, though not without offering some tactile feedback, has a smoother, “buttery” feel and is practically inaudible. Finally, a word on the straps. Two quick-release straps are supplied with the Tribute Chronograph, both courtesy of Casa Fagliano, and both sharing a single stainless steel butterfly clasp. One is done in medium-blue denim-like canvas with smooth, midnight-blue leather accents, the other is entirely in midnight blue leather. The seen below, the all-leather strap dresses up the watch significantly, though the dressier presentation strikes me as somewhat at odds with the Tribute Chronograph’s large size. I look forward to trying some bespoke ridged reptile or exotic leather straps, as I have used as alternatives to the Fagliano straps on my other Reversos.

All-Leather Fagliano Strap
For now, I’m very glad to have both watches, and I do not think that they’re redundant in my collection. It’s good to have an integrated, shaped chronograph movement back in the Reverso catalog, and I think the Tribute Chronograph is well-executed. That said, based upon its size, warm-toned precious metal, more intricately detailed recto dial, and unique history as the first hand-wound integrated chronograph of the mechanical watch revival, I will always have a very special attachment to the Chronographe Rétrograde.