Style Edit: Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert on the Reverso's enduring appeal: at Watches and Wonders 2025, the industry veteran explained the continuous reimagination of the classic design

South China Morning Post

07-04-2025

One of the surprises of a major executive reshuffle at luxury group Richemont last year was the return after more than 10 years of Jérôme Lambert as CEO of
Jaeger-LeCoultre, the watchmaker founded in 1833 . A veteran of the industry, Lambert is one of the most respected figures in the watch community, always in his element meeting clients, editors and collectors at events such as
Watches and Wonders , the annual fair in Geneva to celebrate the latest releases in fine watchmaking.
At the latest edition of the fair, Jaeger-LeCoultre focused on its
most iconic creation, the Reverso , the instantly recognisable watch with a reversible case that has come to represent the combination of creativity and technical prowess for which the maison is known.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre booth at Watches and Wonders in Geneva was buzzing with activity. Photo: AFP
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On a busy day during the fair, Lambert took some time to sit down for an interview with Style.
Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert, who rejoined the house last year. Photo: Handout
Why focus on the Reverso this year?
The Jaeger-LeCoultre family is rich but every other year we work on the Reverso because it's a watch that has many facets and can exist in many dimensions. It tells a story of complications, of craftsmanship and style. Every two years we can bring new creativity and tell all these stories. This year we're exploring the origin of the watch and, when it comes to complications, we're willing to go to the depths of the movements and the relationship between the movement construction and the case itself. It's very balanced – the case and the skeletonised part go together, and we also follow the golden ratio. You want to question the fundamentals of the watch.
What role does design play versus technical prowess at Jaeger-LeCoultre?
Jaeger-LeCoultre is about watchmaking creativity, and the watchmaking part is obvious thanks to the number of calibres we've patented. Our manufacture is probably the last one to be fully integrated and to be able to fully deliver a watch from A to Z. It gives the creative side the ability to not compromise.
We have created more than 50 movements for the Reverso – more than one movement every two years – and it's not for the sake of making a calibre, but it's because if you make a ladies' watch, for instance, you need to have a specific calibre and you have to design a new movement. The capability to have the watchmaking serve the design, in the case of the Reverso, gives you the luxury not to compromise. The style serves the manufacture to drive it to more perfection. At the end of the day, if you do a mechanical movement and there is not that emotion of uniqueness and the beauty of decoration, the movement is useless.