Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrates the Raffle Hotel’s 150th Anniversary

Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrates the Raffle Hotel’s 150th Anniversary

Seth Semilof
By Seth Semilof July 30, 2012

Jaeger-LeCoultre is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the legendary Raffles Hotel in Singapore with a special edition ladies’ Reverso Lady Ultra Thin and Reverso Grande Taille for men. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso models feature a patented swivel mechanism that allows the case to flip between the watch face and engraved back.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Grand Taille
The Grande Taille in mid-transformation.

The special edition Reversos are for sale at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s boutique located within the Raffles Hotel’s shopping arcade, etched with the words “Raffles Hotel 1887-2012 Singapore”.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso watches have stood the test of time, having debuted in 1931 with the intention of shielding the watch face from the shocks and dust faced by polo players. Through the years, the back – or reversed side – has become a canvas for talented engravers to show off their art.

Hotel general manager Pierre Jochem offered his take on the exclusive timepieces, saying “Timelessness is about moving with the times and adapting to the world around us – but never forgetting our heritage – which is priceless.”

The Raffles Hotel gets its name from Singapore’s founder, Stamford Raffles. Over the years it has played host to luminaries such as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham, and as a result has been immortalized in numerous books and short stories.

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