At Watches & Wonders 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled two new additions to the Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ series: the Green Arums and Purple Arums models. These timepieces represent the latest development of a collection that began in 2021, combining fine watchmaking techniques with artistic crafts. Both new interpretations are presented in pink gold (18k – 750/1000) cases and produced in strictly limited editions of 10 pieces each.
Introduction to the Reverso One Design
The Reverso case, first introduced in 1931, exemplifies Art Deco design principles with its rectangular shape and swivelling case mechanism. While originally designed for polo players to protect their watch dials during matches, the design rapidly evolved to include feminine versions within its first year of production.
The Reverso One variant, with its elongated proportions, provides an ideal canvas for decorative arts and gemstone setting. This iteration maintains the distinctive double-sided case structure that has become the hallmark of the Reverso collection, allowing for two distinct visual experiences within a single timepiece.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 846
Both the Green Arums and Purple Arums models share identical technical specifications. Each watch measures 40 × 20 mm × 9.09 mm and is powered by the manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 846.
This movement has been developed and produced entirely within the Manufacture specifically for the Reverso collection. In accordance with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s approach to movement design, the calibre is shaped to follow the contours of the rectangular case. The movement provides 50 hours of power reserve and delivers basic time-telling functions: hours and minutes.
The Calibre 846 consists of 93 parts, operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and contains 18 jewels. This movement represents the continuation of Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s legacy of creating purpose-built calibres for their distinctive case shapes.
Not just another Reverso
The front dial of both models employs a delicate mother-of-pearl base. The design features a subtle yet distinctive arrangement where brackets define the four corners of the dial, creating a frame for the numerals, which are transferred in the signature Reverso One typography.
The case construction demonstrates the dual personality of the Reverso concept. The gadroons (decorative edges) and lugs are enhanced with grain-set diamonds, while the winding crown features a reverse-set diamond as an additional refinement.
Where the two models truly differentiate themselves is on their casebacks, which serve as the canvas for the artistic expression that gives the collection its name. Each model features a distinct colour scheme and application technique, though both utilise the same foundational artistic methods.
Artistic Techniques: Green Arums
The Green Arums model combines three distinct artistic techniques in its caseback decoration. The creation begins with grand feu champlevé enamelling, a process requiring 15 hours of work to complete.
The champlevé technique commences with the meticulous hollowing-out of the metal surface, leaving only the outline shapes of flowers and leaves intact. The craftsperson then fills these recessed areas with powdered glass enamel, which must undergo firing at temperatures reaching 800°C. This process demands up to 10 separate applications and firings, with each layer building upon the previous to achieve the desired tonal variation and colour intensity.
Contrasting with the vibrant green enamel tones, black lacquer is applied between the floral elements to add depth and dimension to the composition. This involves a precise process where lacquer fragments are cut into exact shapes to fit the spaces between the enamelled elements and then carefully positioned.
The final decorative phase involves setting 409 diamonds (totalling 2.59 carats) using both snow-setting and grain-setting techniques. This diamond-setting process alone requires 45 hours of specialist work.
Artistic Techniques: Purple Arums
The Purple Arums model presents a different technical challenge with its design that features purple, pink and green grand feu champlevé enamel. The enamelling work on this variant requires 30 hours to complete, twice the time needed for the Green Arums model.
A distinctive characteristic of this model is how the floral design extends seamlessly around the case sides, continuing from the back to the bezel. This expansion across different planes and angles significantly increases the complexity of the artisan’s task.
The diamond-setting work on the Purple Arums is particularly intensive, requiring 95 hours to place 637 diamonds (totalling 2.12 carats) using snow-setting and grain-setting techniques. The snow-setting method involves positioning diamonds of varying sizes in an arrangement determined by the shape of the area being decorated, creating an almost continuous surface of light reflection that complements the enamel colours.
The Craft Heritage and Production Process
The creation of these timepieces occurs within Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s dedicated Métiers Rares™ (Rare Handcrafts) atelier at their Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux. This specialised workshop brings together artisans skilled in various disciplines including gem-setting, engraving, and enamelling.
The enamelling process requires extensive training, with at least two years of rigorous preparation needed before an artisan can master the technique. An experienced enameller develops an almost intuitive understanding of when to remove pieces from the kiln to avoid flaws such as bubbles or cracks, and to achieve the intended colour, which often transforms during the heating process.
The diamond-setting process presents additional challenges as it can only commence after the enamelling is complete. The gem-setter must work with metal that has been hardened by the extreme heat of the enamel firing process, requiring exceptional precision as any mistake could compromise hours of prior enamelling work.
Finishing Elements
Both models are completed with alligator straps that complement their respective enamel colours—green for the Green Arums and purple for the Purple Arums—providing a cohesive visual connection between the case decoration and the strap.
The Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ collection demonstrates how traditional watchmaking can be integrated with decorative arts to create timepieces that function both as timekeeping instruments and as showcases for exceptional craftsmanship. The combination of enamelling, gem-setting, and in the case of the Green Arums, lacquer work, represents the continuation of artistic traditions that have been central to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s identity.
These new interpretations of the Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ expand upon a collection that has previously featured white lilies, tropical birds-of-paradise and hibiscus flowers, with each model employing specific decorative techniques appropriate to its design. The technical and artistic complexity of these timepieces reflects Jaeger-LeCoultre’s position in horology, illustrating how the rectangular Reverso case continues to serve as an ideal medium for artistic expression, 94 years after its original introduction.
