The delicate balance between beauty and function comes to the fore with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179
Are you someone who revels in artistic pursuits? Or do you feel most alive making sense of numbers on an Excel spreadsheet? The notion that some of us are more “left-brained” and hence more inclined to numeracy and logic, or, conversely, “right-brained,” with a tendency for creative talent, has long been debated. Psychologists in the 18th and 19th centuries, who conducted experiments on brain functions in the left and right hemispheres, found evidence suggesting that there are, indeed, differences—and a tension—between the two.
Yet, when examining the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 at close quarters, we feel inclined to question the premise. Form versus function, and never the twain shall meet? The Swiss watchmaking house invites us to think otherwise.
A precious limited-edition creation produced in just 10 pieces, the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 appears at the intersection between artisanal beauty and mechanical ingenuity, with both virtues harmoniously juxtaposed rather than competing as opposing forces. An engineering feat from the inside-out, the watch’s demands on technical design, micro-engineering, and machining precision are immense. Every single component of its 123-part hand-wound movement is crafted and calculated to work in unerring tandem.
The highlight of this mechanical engine, the Gyrotourbillon, beats at its heart. Comprising two cages that house the watch’s regulating organ, the Gyrotourbillon rotates on multiple axes—the inner cage rotating at 360 degrees every 16 seconds, alongside a peripheral carriage rotating once per minute. The globular ballet is not just for show, either, as the Gyrotourbillon’s main purpose is to enhance timekeeping precision by nullifying the pull of gravity on the watch components.
Artful vessel
And on the outside, of course, there is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s famous Reverso case, ranked among the most iconic and distinctive horological vessels of all time. Legend has it that the reversible case was designed to protect the face of the watch from damage during polo games. The premise, while simple, again required inventive engineering. The famous rectangular case, with its slide-and-swivel actuation—one that has been perfected since its debut in 1931—is rendered on the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 in warm and lustrous pink gold.
Introduced in 2023 in a white gold case, the 2025 version of the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 in pink gold exudes distinctive stateliness. This time, the watch’s signature dual-faced form and complex construction are again lavished with all manner of artisanal crafts—relief engraving, skeletonisation, and hand-lacquering—placing its mechanical ingenuity on a raised pedestal.
On the front, the Reverso’s familiar Art Deco lines are transposed onto intricate latticework on the pink gold plates and bridges, featuring 200 depressions that have been hand-applied with layers of lacquer before being polished to a glossy finish.
Flip the watch over, and you are treated to more astounding decorative work—this time, the black lacquer accentuating the laser-cut skeletonised hours-minutes ring and its supporting bridges. It is a look that is richly elegant and sublime, and one that deftly illustrates the inevitable duet between man and machine that defines contemporary watchmaking.
So, is the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 a left- or right-brained watch? We’d wager that it is both—and, like its human counterpart, an intriguing rarity by all accounts.
