While he might be known for flashy $5M Jacob & Co watches, diamond-studded Chopards, and pint-sized Piagets, Usher is a man who knows how to dress for the occasion. Check him out in a simple Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso at the U.S. Open this past week. Nothing iced-out, no bells and whistles—just a classic example of an early sports watch design born of a practical need.
The story behind the Reverso is that several English soldiers stationed in India in the 1930s found that they were repeatedly bashing their watch crystals to bits while playing polo. (Dangerous game, polo.) César de Trey, a Swiss businessman, was petitioned by the soldiers to find a solution to the problem. De Trey consulted with his associate Jacques-David LeCoultre, who in turn enlisted Edmond Jaeger—who in turn spoke with a French engineer named Alfred Rene Chavot.
Jean Catuffe
The result? A watch that could be flipped over to a solid steel caseback that would be impervious to whacks and scrapes and hide the vulnerable dial while on horseback. De Trey registered the name “Reverso,” and the watch proved so successful that by 1937, Jaeger and LeCoultre had merged to form a business that still hinges on the success of this famous model today. (A happy result of exposing the steel back of the watch is that one now has a visible, engravable surface, which makes personalization and gifting an attractive proposition. JLC’s atelier in Le Sentier has Reverso models that belonged to General McCarthur, Amelia Earhart, and other important 20th-century figures.)
The neat thing about Reverso is that the collection, after going through hard times in the mid-20th century, has since expanded beyond its time-only roots into a wide array of complications and configurations. You want a dual-time Reverso? JLC makes those, which are ideal for travelers. What about a complete calendar Reverso? You got it. Small ones; mini ones; gold ones; one with an instantaneous perpetual calendar and a flying tourbillon and a striking mechanism? Check, check, and check. But there’s something about the original model that continues to attract collectors for its practical origins and unique design.
Usher’s Reverso appears to be a Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, a modern incarnation of the classic 1930s model with a sub-seconds display on the dial, and a blank caseback ideal for personalization. (It would appear that he wore the blue version, which ships on a matching Fagliano Collection strap.) Understated and elegant, this is a watch that, much like the original Cartier Santos, was designed in a deliberate and dedicated manner to address a specific problem. (The Santos was created for Brazilian pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont to wear during flight.) And while both timepieces appear decidedly dressy by today’s standards, each was born as a sport watch—or a “tool watch,” if you prefer—in the strictest sense.
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Patrick Mahomes’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon
Patrick Mahomes has been spotted in all manner of heavy-hitting horology, from diamond-encrusted Royal Oaks to classic Rolex tool watches and everything in between. This week, the pendulum seems to have swung back into AP territory: Mahomes donning a red-dialed Royal Oak Tourbillon at the U.S. Open men’s final. Measuring 41mm in stainless steel, it’s a haute horlogerie take on one of the world’s most popular timepieces, and the prototype for the entire “luxury sports watch” category.
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Mark Zuckerberg’s De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius
Remember when I said that Zuck had entered a new phase of his sartorial journey that appeared to be leading straight into the depths of the Swiss Jura? (Maybe I didn’t put it exactly this way—I can’t remember. Last week was a long time ago.) Well, I weren’t kidding: The Meta Man is officially a Watch Guy. After debuting a very fine Patek Philippe just last week, he’s already showing off another big-time watch in the De Bethune BD25 Starry Varius. The 42mm piece with a customized dial depicting the night sky in the buyer’s preferred location. (The dial is blued and polished titanium with tiny white gold pins depicting the stars. Pretty baller.) From Patek QPs to high-end independents in a matter of months—where will this dude go next?
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Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46_blue dial and brown alligator leather strap_Ref. AB0137211C1P1_RGBCourtesy of Breitling
Eli Manning’s Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46
None other than Eli Manning showed face at a Fashion Week kickoff for Breitling’s new NFL Chronomat Editions wearing the manufacturer’s flagship Navitimers. The brand released 32 watches, one featuring every team’s colors and logo, each of which is limited to 104 pieces. Oddly enough the Giants legend wasn’t wearing the one sporting his former team’s colors. He opted instead for a standard issue piece. The former Giant, at 6’5”, can certainly pull off such a watch, but the rest of us normal-wristed people might have to spring for a slightly smaller version: Its stainless steel case clocks in at a positively gigantic 46mm. (This is good news for the model’s triple-register chronograph display and classic slide rule bezel, however, which features tiny scales that allow for speed, distance, and fuel consumption calculations on the go.)
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Jannik Sinner’s Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer”
Jannik Sinner hoisted the Tiffany-made singles trophy with a Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” on his wrist after winning the U.S. Open last weekend. Having defeated fellow Crown testimonee Taylor Fritz in three sets, he strapped on his two-tone “Root Beer,” with its brown-and-black bezel, for the whole world to see. It’s no surprise that no matter which player emerged victorious, Rolex was going to be a winner.
