Hands-On: The Quietly Launched Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface “Or Deco Cocktail”

Last year’s launch of a new Reverso Tribute Monoface “Or Deco” in pink gold (with a gorgeous Milanese mesh bracelet) was probably the most outstanding release from Jaeger-LeCoultre in a while. Its time in the sun was somewhat brief, though, as it was a bit upstaged this year by the new Master Control Chronometre line (for which a Hands-On is forthcoming soon, I promise). Yet, at Watches and Wonders last month, the brand showed it could do more with the “Or Deco” platform, introducing three new Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds “Or Deco Cocktail” watches, including two in a new material.

You may have missed these new watches. That’s in part because the brand is set to make a more complete announcement in a few weeks, with an immersive pop-up of its “Reverso Stories” series from May 21 to May 31 in the Miami Design District, ahead of the opening of a new boutique there this summer. The idea is to focus on rare pieces, including historic high-jewelry models, and to premiere some new Reverso pieces that play into that concept, including this trio. However, before the watches were shipped to South Beach, we got to see them in New York and get to spill the tea, as the kids say, before their Miami feature debut. 

The standouts, at least in terms of novelty, are the two new white-gold versions. The framework remains the same, a 45.6 x 27.4 x 7.56mm case, now in white gold, housing a manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 822 movement. Both watches feature a silver-toned grained dial with hours, minutes, and seconds displayed via silver-toned hands and indices.

Where they differ from last year’s original is in the stones: one sets 46 baguette-cut emeralds (approximately 0.95 ct), the other 46 baguette-cut blue sapphires (approximately 1.36 ct). Joining them is an updated rose gold version, which now features the same number of rubies and the same total weight as the sapphires. All three retain a 42-hour power reserve.

Like any good soft launch of a significant other on a social media page, the soft launch of the new models came in photos. Look, I know our audience is a bit tired of the watch-spotting on red carpets. This is, after all, a commercial game played by brands (sometimes very overplayed). It’s a corporate strategy, but for those who do it well, it’s not done without thought. 

In this case, JLC did a great job of getting the two white-gold models placed on actors Tyriq Withers and Finn Wolfhard at the Met Gala, where they (in my non-sartorially inclined opinion) blended well with the outfits. And it gave JLC an easy way to launch a watch post-W&W without having to reach out to publications for attention. In fact, I asked to see these myself.

The PR professionals work with stylists to understand what a few targeted “talent” might be wearing to whatever award show or, in this case, the Met Gala. They try to thoughtfully pick out some options and then loan them to the stylist, who pits these watches head-to-head against options from other brands. Money does change hands, sometimes a substantial amount, to stylists and the talent, which obviously doesn’t make it an egalitarian choice when one brand might offer twice as much money (or a chance to keep a watch). Others are obligated based on brand ambassadorship. PR professionals call photographers in advance to ensure they get shots of watches they can buy. Sometimes it’s very forced, maybe often, but sometimes it works out well.

I am under no illusions that the enthusiast side of the market is going to be swayed by any celebrity wearing a watch at a red carpet. But we make up only a small fraction of a company’s overall business. The need is for the general consumer, so what is a brand supposed to spend a part of its advertising budget on: placing a product rather than a print ad in the Wall Street Journal? I don’t blame them. That style of promotion might not be for “us” in the royal “we” sense. It doesn’t make the product less good. Is it worthwhile? The people at JLC say yes. One person from the brand told me that a teenager stopped by the boutique the day after the gala to ask to try on some Reversos. He saw the watch on TikTok and became interested. He wasn’t a buyer, they said, not yet. But it’s the kind of visibility that implants a brand in someone’s head long-term.

That long-term thinking extends to the product itself. The white gold Milanese bracelet remains one of the most comfortable on the market. Yes, it’s heavy, but it’s got that warm quality that gold gives. The bracelet is also no small feat to produce. A nontrivial part of the watch’s cost comes from the Milanese bracelet itself (finer and more tapered than most mass-produced options), according to CEO Jérôme Lambert, whom I spoke with last week. Making it in steel would drive the cost up astronomically, to the point that no one would probably buy it, as Lambert implied. Making it in platinum would be near-impossible, in my opinion. White gold is the perfect option. And it won’t be limited to just these “Cocktail” watches—a white gold “Or Deco” without stones is coming soon, as is a smaller version in pink gold (40mm x 24.4mm x 7.56mm).

The inclusion of stones is what makes this a “Cocktail” watch, in JLC’s eyes. If I had to nit-pick, this is where our perspectives slightly diverge. I like the stones, sure. It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of tasteful bling. I like the way the stones follow the curve of the case. However, I do think it could have gone further, either by wrapping around the case to the rear or by framing the dial. A cocktail watch, by my ingrained mental definition, is purposefully but tastefully ostentatious. It’s also something that JLC has a long history of doing. Compare the treatment of the watch here to some examples below. 

Sister brands within Richemont have set a high bar here. Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers program produces custom one-off pieces with no ceiling on movement complexity or Métiers d’Art decoration; Cartier’s revived NSO program, similarly, now deals exclusively in bespoke, extremely high-end pieces untethered from existing designs. JLC, by that logic, should be pushing further into truly ornate cocktail watches—decorated cases, elaborate bracelets, the works. The infrastructure exists: the brand has its Atelier des Métiers Rares, though it may already be stretched thin with Métiers d’Art projects like the enameled casebacks found on certain models. They did it with the incredible Reverso Secret Pendant watch. The Caliber 101 Secrets was similarly spectacular and more like what I imagine. I honestly would love to see more.

Any qualms aside, I think it’s a good watch, even if for the fact that it sets the stage for future Reverso Tribute watches. A white gold version without gems on the horizon is a welcome thing, especially because the rumored price of these watches is around $95,000, according to some sources, which is a substantial increase over the original versions. With only 30 of each style, however, it seems very likely that these will find homes. After that, we can eagerly await the newer versions.

For more information, visit the Jaeger-LeCoultre website. More will be shared at launch at May 21.