Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Secret (3553308)

WORLDTEMPUS - 10 February 2011

The Reverso is no novelty to the watch world. However, the ultra-slim 80th anniversary version presented at the SIHH certainly created the same thrill watch lovers probably felt in 1931 when they laid eyes on this watch for the first time: the perfectly proportioned case designed using the golden ratio, the rotation allowing both front and back to be viewed, and the simple, yet beautiful dials. The SIHH allowed Worldtempus the opportunity to discuss these timepieces with the man in charge for the last nine years, 41-year-old CEO Jerôme Lambert.
Though the big birthday of one of the industry's legendary timepieces was on the immediate agenda, Lambert quickly turned the attention to the Master Compressor Extreme Lab II that was launched last year. As he showed the watch, he explained that Europe still is the biggest and most important market for his brand's timepieces.

Hot: The Western Hemisphere
It was admittedly refreshing to speak with a horological top dog who did not only talk about Chinese and Indian boutique openings, but instead claimed close to 50 percent of his total sales in Europe as well as heavy involvement in Buenos Aires, the equestrian sport of polo's proud capital. Polo is deeply rooted within the very essence of Jaeger-LeCoultre's top line, as this sport was the direct inspiration for creating the Reverso in 1931.
Lambert also mentioned Mexico as a very important and rapidly growing market. "The Expo JOYA watch show in Guadalajara shows solid interest from a cultivated breed of collectors who understand and want to invest in high-end watchmaking," Lambert explained to by way of confirmation.
Launching the Lab
The Master Compressor Extreme Lab II, retailing for 42,500 euros, is made of a tough titanium alloy, TiVan15. Lambert was extremely pleased to present a fully finalized and functional version of this impressive timepiece, a chronograph with a patented digital jump minute counter. In addition to the innovative properties found in the movement of this extreme timepiece, it also boasts an ingenious crown construction that works as a function selector. The neutral position allows manual winding; pressing the crown once allows the wearer to set the second time zone, and pressing it twice enables one to set the main time. This is a system similar to one developed by APRP (and used on certain Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet pieces), but this one originates entirely from the watchmakers at the company's factory in Le Sentier.

The Master Compressor Extreme Lab II is a completely different animal than the super slim anniversary Reverso models, and is a model that obviously excites the enthusiastic CEO. He understands and embraces the impressive "DNA" of Jaeger-LeCoultre and listens well to input from passionate collectors of the brand. Lambert even admits to modifying designs thanks to such input, which even accounts for both the re-launch of the Polaris two years ago and the re-issue of the two limited Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea models presented at the SIHH this year. It certainly takes a big man to admit such unusual consulting - and Lambert is just that.
Rockin' Reissue
The refreshed Reverso models have to be counted among some of the year's best in terms of re-issuing. This evergreen of art deco style has now experienced a thinning and primping that has successfully redirected the gaze back to the shaped line - and rightly so. Reverso - "I turn around" in Latin - remains a true original, and will now appeal to a new generation of watch lovers living in the present. The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin, Grande Reverso Duo, and Reverso Repetition Minutes a Rideau are right on target.

Complicated movements only began appearing in Reverso cases at the sixty-year mark in 1991, and the brand hasn't looked back since. Capturing the emotional spirit of the collector, the Reverso Repetition Minutes a Rideau even offers a never-been-seen element: a "pivoting curtain" that allows the wearer to once again see various "faces" of the timepiece. Simply using a fingertip to slide the "curtain" covering one of the sides of the case reveals the hidden beauty of the movement and also activates the repeating mechanism. This model, which also undergoes the 1000 hours test the brand performs on its timepieces, is only available in a 75-piece limited edition in white gold.