The Jaeger-LeCoultre Métiers Rares atelier transforms the Reverso into a sculpted canvas for the winged horse of Greek legend as Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to push the Hybris series into new artistic territory with the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 Pegasus, a five-piece limited edition that channels the full force of the Manufacture's Métiers Rares atelier. Built around the fourth evolution of the Gyrotourbillon, the new Reverso pairs serious mechanical credentials with a hand-engraved 18K pink gold case depicting Pegasus soaring through a field of clouds—a motif carried through to the dial in hand-lacquered relief.
Things to Know About the Watch
The 51.1 mm x 31 mm case, 12.41 mm thick, is rendered in 18K pink gold and requires 180 hours of focused engraving work per piece. The relief carving wraps seamlessly around the convex case-sides, almost entirely obscuring the join between the upper and lower sections—a technical detail that speaks to the discipline behind the artistry. The cloud motif from the case migrates to the front dial, where two pink gold dial plates sit at different levels around the time display and tourbillon aperture.
More than 50 hollows were milled into these plates and then hand-filled with varying shades of blue lacquer, applied in successive layers until perfectly flush with the cloud-shaped outlines. The open-worked bridges between the plates are also hand-lacquered in dark blue, offering a glimpse into the calibre below in keeping with the Hybris philosophy of celebrating mechanical and decorative art in equal measure.
The Movement
Caliber 179 is a manually wound Duoface movement displaying hours and minutes on both dials, a second time zone with a 24-hour indicator on the reverse, and the Gyrotourbillon visible from front and back. The multi-axis regulator comprises 123 components, including an ultra-light titanium inner cage that completes a full rotation every 16 seconds and a peripheral carriage on ball bearings that rotates once per minute. The peripheral carriage also drives a small-seconds ring around the tourbillon aperture. At the heart of the mechanism, a greyed semi-spherical balance spring works in concert with a double-anchor Gyrolab balance—both engineered to reduce air friction and sharpen rate stability. The reverse dial is fully skeletonized, with approximately 14 hours of hand-bevelling dedicated to the Gyrotourbillon cage alone and another eight for the signature reverse-side bridge. The movement provides a power reserve of 40 hours when fully wound.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Pegasus reads as a sculptural object first and a wristwatch second. The pink gold engraving catches light across its raised cloud relief, while the blue-lacquered dial draws the eye to the floating Gyrotourbillon suspended above its mirror-polished blue disc. Despite the complication count, the refined lugs and Art Deco proportions keep it elegantly wearable. The blue alligator strap is fitted with a 46-component double-wheel folding clasp in pink gold, micro-adjustable to 0.5 mm.
For true connoisseurs of art and mechanics, the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 Pegasus is a five-piece distillation of the 180 skills assembled under one roof at the Manufacture.
Sticker Price EUR 650,000—approx USD 756,000. For more info on Jaeger-LeCoultre click here.
