Chris Nolan Is Wearing His Rare “Batman” Reverso Again

Cool as Hamilton’s new Homeric-themed bronze field watch may be, Christopher Nolan has broken out a different piece from his cinematic universe during recent interviews for The Odyssey press tour: his Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And while it may look like a run-of-the-mill Tribute to 1931—the stripped-back, classic-looking reference made to honor the very first Reverso model—it actually holds a special secret.Flip the watch’s famously reversible caseback over, and you’re greeted with a pixelated image of the Bat symbol in black enamel. Why? The ref. 277.8.62 was made in a 10-piece limited run back in 2012 for the debut of The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Peek within its reversible frame, and you’ll notice the inside case is inscribed “2012 Warner Bros. Ent. Inc. TM & © DC Comics (s12),” indicating it was made especially for Warner Bros. executives and Nolan himself. When one came up for auction at Antiquorum back in 2013, it sold for $16,250. No doubt that 13 years later, with the explosion in popularity of both the watch-collecting hobby as well as Nolan’s films, it would draw significantly more attention.Outside of the “Bat signal,” the ref. 277.8.62 is a restrained dress watch of the highest order: made of stainless steel and measuring 46 x 27mm, it features brushed and polished finishing, iconic Reverso gadroons, a sapphire crystal, and a black dial with an outer railroad minute track, luminous baton indices, luminous sword hands, and the “Reverso” wordmark in vintage-inspired typeface. Powered by the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 822 movement, the watch measures just 7mm thick, echoing the original run of svelte timepieces that were designed to withstand the rigors of polo matches in India during the waning days of the Raj.Surprisingly, the Reverso delivers all sorts of connections to Gotham’s hero over the course of Hollywood history. During Batman Forever, Val Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne likewise wore a Reverso—a Grand Taille model—which he used to communicate with Alfred long before the days of FaceTime. Later, in Nolan’s own trilogy, Christian Bale’s take on the Caped Crusader strapped on both the Reverso Grande Taille as well the Reverso Grande Date 8 Days, continuing a tradition that helps cement Wayne’s reputation as a well-to-do heir.A reversible watch with two “faces,” the Reverso is necessarily a symbol of duality—the Harvey Dent of the horological world, if you will. Surely no timepiece could possibly be more appropriate for a character such as Batman, whom most suppose to be a mere playboy rather than the superhero he transforms into at night. In addition to pulling double duty as a tribute to this character, Nolan’s Reverso is also, quite simply, a beautiful watch: the Tribute to 1931 it’s based on remains a favorite amongst collectors the world over for its handsome Art Deco aesthetics and excellent proportions.Jacob Batalon’s Rolex GMT-Master IIMCU actor Jacob Batalon—who plays Peter Parker’s best friend Ned Leeds in Spider-Man: Brand New Day—threw the first pitch before a Mets game at Citi Field this week wearing one of the coolest variants of the Rolex GMT-Master II: the “Sprite” on a Jubilee bracelet, ref. 126720VTNR. Released in 2022, the “Sprite” turned heads for its unique combination of green-and-black bezel paired to a case in which the crown is situated on the left-hand side. While some think of this design as a dedicated “lefty” configuration, others point out that when worn on the left hand—where a righty would traditionally wear one’s watch—it keeps the crown out of the way of the hand, making for a more comfortable wearing experience.Brett Goldstein’s Jaeger-LeCoultre ReversoMuch like Christopher Nolan, Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein clearly got the Jaeger-LeCoultre-themed message this week. The actor hit the red carpet for the Season 4 premiere of the revived show wearing the Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds. Unlike Nolan’s watch—which recreates the original 1930s Reverso with a single dial and a blank steel caseback—this one features a black dial on one side, and a silver dial on the reverse, complete with a day/night indicator, for displaying a second time zone. Powered by a hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre movement and paired to a simple black leather strap, it’s an ideal choice for a jet-setter who wants to look suave while keeping track of the time back home.Igby Rigney’s IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35The Shards may help the show’s lead Igby Rigney distinguish himself as a breakout star, but on his wrist was a stone-cold classic. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 shrinks down the brand’s luxury sports watch to a diameter wearable by just about anyone, adding a cool variety of dial and metal choices for good measure. It looks like Rigney sprang for the ref. IW324901, which matches the watch’s stainless steel case and bracelet to a silver-plated dial in the collection’s signature “Grid” pattern. Powered by the automatic IWC cal. 47110 movement with 42 hours of power reserve and water-resistant to 100m, the Ingenieur Automatic 35 is a perfectly capable sports watch that can easily pull double duty as a suave red-carpet companionBobby Flay’s Rolex Day-DateSuperstar chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay went full-Presidential this week on Jimmy Fallon with a neat Rolex Day-Date. Unlike many, he chose to wear the watch on a leather strap rather than a matching “President” bracelet, making for a more formal—and significantly less flashy—look. (Flay also owns a ref. 118209 in white gold with a matching bracelet.) It appears the chef chose the ref. 118135, a 36mm watch in rose gold with a chocolate-colored dial, an outer minute track with Roman numerals, and applied, luminescent baton indices with a matching gold handset. Inside is Rolex’s cal. 3155 movement, an automatic chronometer with 31 jewels and a 48-hour power reserve. Can’t argue with a classic!