Exquisite composition for the legendary gyrotourbillon.

Once again, the novelties unveiled at the Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva have shown us how unusual models from the past can be revived in different ways. While Cartier has returned the Tank to its roots with a solid case top on the Tank à Guichets, Jaeger-LeCoultre has transformed the Reverso, initially conceived as an ultra-thin watch with a deep cover to protect the watch from knocks during games of polo.

The transformation is a masterpiece where watchmaking mechanics meet artisan crafts. The watchmaker has revisited the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 that debuted in 2023. The same movement was housed in the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon in 2016, but an artistic highlight was added to the multi-axis gyrotourbillon in 2023.

Fitting the gyrotourbillon into the rectangular Reverso case in 2023 posed a challenge in and of itself. You may remember Caliber 174 introduced before that in the 2008 Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2: back then, the movement was skeletonized to reveal its technical advancement, while the reverse dial was reserved for enamel artists.

This year, we've been treated to a triumphant return. Pink gold has been replaced by white gold for the new Hybris Artistica. Availability is still limited to ten pieces. How many people on the planet would be willing to shell out over half a million dollars for this watchmaking masterpiece? The watch houses the same Caliber 179 movement, comprising 382 components.

The star of this manually wound movement is its Gyrotourbillon, assembled from 123 components. It performs pirouettes around the double axis at an unprecedented speed: the inner tourbillon cage completes a 360-degrees rotation every 16 seconds, while the peripheral movement completes a full rotation every minute.

The Gyrotourbillon forms the lower half of the figure eight on the dial, while the upper half is reserved for the hour and minute hands for the two time zones on the front and reverse dials. You can also find the additional 24-hour indicator on the reverse dial, typical of Duoface.

White gold looks more effective paired with blue lacquer on this watch —  the Artistica component of the Hybris Artistica concept. The watch case measures 51.1 mm × 31 mm × 13.63 mm.