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Reverso Squadra Chronograph GMT Palermo Open,
the ultimate extreme Reverso
The Reverso Squadra Chronograph GMT Palermo Open is taking the journey to the roots
of the Reverso to its most radical level yet. Resolutely avant-garde in terms of its design, its
case and its technical characteristics, it innovates on all fronts: an original material for its
famous swivel case; a display brilliantly playing on colour contrasts; and the reliability of an
exceptional movement featuring additional functions that are must-haves for the professional
elite.
A sports watch par excellence, it shows legitimate pride in its status as the only automatic
chronograph in the entire Reverso range. The merging of rare talents can indeed work
miracles: the finest players of our era and Jaeger-LeCoultre have managed to bridge space
and time to connect the first watch with a swivel case conceived on a polo field in India, to
the Reverso Squadra unveiled at the Palermo Open polo tournament in this early 21st
century.
A fiery temperament
Much like the most talented international polo players, the Reverso Squadra Chronograph GMT
Palermo Open is gifted with an extreme nature that it is determined to show, starting with its
unique case made from vulcanised rubber for the first time in the rich history of the Reverso.
Nonetheless, the complexity of the iconic swivel case represented a particularly tough challenge
for the Jaeger-LeCoultre technicians and engineers. They performed meticulous testing before
developing dedicated production processes requiring the use of extremely high temperatures
and pressures. There was no other way of fulfilling the desire to create such an extraordinarily
intense shade of black. The brand designers then immediately resolved to emphasise the superb
depth of this colour by creating chromatic compositions on the supporting elements and dial.
This avant-garde case houses the famous automatic Calibre 754 providing a splendid
interpretation of the most useful additional functions in the world of elite sports: the
chronograph which is indispensable in measuring crucial moments; and the dual time-zone
indication that helps preserve the strength of the mental ties with loved ones back home.
The movement fully reflects the philosophy of the brand and of the Reverso Squadra line, in
terms of its precision, reliablity and resistance to the pressures involved in the practise of a
sporting discipline. Its accuracy is ensured for a full 65 hours by a variable-inertia balance
guaranteeing enhanced shock resistance and accurate long-term adjustment (by means of
screws placed on the balance rim, and the laser-welded balance-spring). Moreover, this calibre
comprises two high-end chronograph signature features: a column wheel and a vertical
coupling-clutch. The former is a wheel that coordinates all phases of the chronograph function,
thereby ensuring their perfect synchronisation, while the latter guarantees extreme reliability.
Finally, its exhibition case-back highlights the movement and its exclusive “Squadra” decoration,
admirably revealing the famous vertical Côtes de Genève, blued screws and openworked
oscillating weight.
For a a champion, hesitancy is not an option when a place in the final is at stake, and the
indications must meet the criterion of absolute precision. The hour and minute hands are
rhodium-plated, while the fiery red central seconds hand stands out clearly against the elegant
black dial with its guilloché-work centre. The large date at 12 o’clock counterbalances the dual
time-zone display at 6 ‘clock, while the chronograph hour and minute counters, also featuring
rhodium-plated hands, are placed opposite each other at 3 and 9 o’clock. The presence of a
luminescent substance naturally facilitates reading off the indications, even in the dark.
Once the legibility and clarity of the dial were thus brilliantly ensured, the Jaeger-LeCoultre
artists gave free rein to their creative imagination by pursuing the play on light through splendid
two-tone effects on the other parts of the watch. They pay a splendid visual tribute to the
unique two-part structure of the case through two remarkable associations of materials. The
first version combines the intense black of vulcanised rubber with the gleam of steel, while the
second, issued in a limited edition of 500, plays on the appealing alternate use of intense deep
black and the glowing warmth of pink gold. To further enliven this dynamic antagonism between
organic and metallic elements, the Reverso Squadra Chronograph GMT Palermo Open is fitted
with a technical strap featuring a rubber core surrounded by an incomparably rugged textile
coating. Just as one would expect from such an inherently virile model, its matt tone further
reinforces the resolute face of this powerful and uncompromising timepiece.
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