Reverso of fortune

Why turn your back on time? Are you an erstwhile member of Pink Floyd, which has a cache of songs about how one fritters and wastes the offhand hours of the day? Are you someone who hates either Immanuel Kant or Alan Parsons? Wait, before we wax ourselves crazily into that holding cell called philosophy, let’s make it clear that the phrase “turn your back on time” is not some philosophical voodoo-hoodoo slash mumbo-jumbo. It simply means that your watch has a unique swiveling case that enables you to pivot the watch and, therefore, “turn its back on time.”

Cool.

The idea is rooted, not in Martin Heidegger’s head, but in the desire of polo players — specifically British colonial army officers in India in the late 1920s who loved to play the sport of kings during their free time — to still wear wristwatches during the thick of the matches — galloping horses, swinging mallets and all. They needed an unbreakable timepiece that could withstand the hard knocks unavoidably sustained during the games. The solution by Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) was simple yet brilliant: the watch’s reversibility made it possible to swivel the case to protect the dial, which was covered at the time only by a fragile glass.

The thing is, that watch designed for polo players did not stay on the polo grounds for long. The watch has a dial that could protect itself from shocks, all the while offering a personalized engraved case-back. The JLC watch dubbed as Reverso got wrapped in wrists of those who may not love polo but love a good idea when they see one. And the Reverso’s Art Deco design became a, pardon the pun, “timeless classic.”

Julien Renard, JLC managing director for North Asia/Richemont Asia Pacific Ltd., shared more of the brand history and future directions.

Renard recently visited Manila for Reverso’s 80th anniversary exhibition at Greenbelt 5’s The Gallery. On view were legendary Reverso masterpieces, antique pieces, and unique wrist-beauties. Some Reversos were even flown in from Switzerland to be put on display.

As to what the DNA of the brand is, Renard answered, “JLC is a manufacture also, thus we produce all our movements in-house. We have more than 30 different crafts (departments) under one roof — so we have 1,200 people working in the manufacture, which makes us the second largest manufacture in Switzerland.”

That’s just one spec, he added.

“Our watch design is timeless,” Renard pointed out. “We are 178 years now, and the innovation continues. We always push the limits of the watch-making industry. We have pioneered many new techniques.”

The brand has invented and filed more than 350 patents since it was established. Take the JLC Gyrotourbillon, for instance.

“No other brand can do a Gyrotourbillon, which is fixed on two axes. One axis turns in one minute, the other turns in 24 seconds. One revolves around a vertical plane; the other, the horizontal plane.” The significance here is that the double-axes remove the negative effect gravity has on a mechanical watch movement. Simply put, stated Renard, “It is the most precise watch that you can find.”

Not only that, its visual impact is undeniable. The watch is moved by a truly stunning mechanism. “It’s like a heart beating, moving inside. The cage is made of a hundred parts and it weighs less than a gram.”

How on earth did JLC do that?

Renard smiled and said, “Exactly!”

Only two people in the JLC manufacture work on this particular watch model. You could just imagine those two people working on it as if dealing with the philosopher’s stone itself.

Talk about astounding craftsmanship. JLC also boasts timepieces with miniature enamel painting involved. Picture this: an artisan applies colored pigments to the metal using an extremely fine brush (I use a triple zero, so the JLC dudes probably use a brush with a single strand of hair, he-he, like Joe Coleman) before successively heating the base at high temperatures. In those JLC watches with enameling, usually the reproductions of the paintings of the masters are the most eye-catching: Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is one. How cool it is to walk around the metropolis with the Northern Mona Lisa wrapped around one’s wrist?

“It takes ages to do that, and it takes a lot of patience,” Renard explains.

Engraving is also another JLC element.

The artisan meticulously transforms the back of a Reverso watch into something unique — with family crests, monograms, initials, birth date, the commemoration of a sporting feat or a memorable event. Did you know Amelia Earhart wished to keep a tangible memento of her accomplishment and accordingly had the back of her Reverso watch engraved with the itinerary of her famous nonstop flight from Mexico to New York on May 8, 1935? Prince Aage of Denmark set off for Africa with a Reverso featuring a back adorned with the royal crown. King Edward VIII of England had his Reverso case sporting his coat of arms.

Reverso Redux

JLC came up with the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin — the slimmest Reverso so far at 2.94 mm. Its slenderness makes it both light and comfortable to wear, owing to its subtly curved shape.

How would he describe the person who wears a JLC watch?

“Someone who wants something that is always a classic — timeless. Someone who wants a watch not only for its look, but also for what’s inside — the movement, the mechanism. It’s like a car (beautiful both inside and outside). Someone who is classy. Someone who knows the value of the item. You buy it for what it is, you wear it for what it is — not just to show off.”

It’s so tough you can play polo with it.

Or just ride out that galloping beast called life — in style — despite the hooks and mallets of outrageous fortune. At least that’s how philosophers would see it.

Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Lucerne. JLC timepieces are available at Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique at Greenbelt 5, Lucerne at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Glorietta 4 and Ayala Center Cebu.