It was back in 1833 that the great Antoine Le Coultre invented a machine to cut watch pinions from steel. By 1844, he was producing the world’s most precise timepieces. Fast-forward to 1934, when the firm received a request for a watch to be worn while playing polo by British troops stationed in India. It was the genesis of the Reverso because the case could be easily flipped to protect the crystal. The new Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque builds on this innovation with four distinctive faces. The main face incorporates hour- and minute-hands with a perpetual calendar accounting for those pesky Leap Year surprises. The reverse face also displays the time and the hammers of the chiming hour, quarter hour and minute repeaters. The third face displays lunar orbits, eclipses and supermoon schedules for those of us always with an eye to the sky. The final face is on the rear of the cradle and displays the inverse of the moon phases on the third face. The presentation box allows the calendar and astronomy displays to be quickly set. A supple calfskin strap secures this mechanical marvel to the wrist; Jaeger-LeCoultre.com.
