Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Sun & Moon

The Reverso is, at its core, one of the earliest true sports watches—though its elegance often disguises that fact. Its sleek Art Deco lines have become inseparable from horological design history, yet the model was born not from the ballroom, but from the polo field. In the early 1930s, during a trip to India, Swiss businessman César de Trey met a British polo player who had just shattered the crystal of his watch mid-match. That conversation planted a seed: could a wristwatch be built to shield its dial from the inevitable knocks of the game? Back in Switzerland, de Trey brought the idea to Jacques-David LeCoultre, and together they refined it into a reversible case. Designed by Alfred Chauvot—who patented the concept in March 1931—the mechanism allowed the watch to flip over, protecting the crystal and dial during play. While most examples were made of steel, Jaeger-LeCoultre also produced precious-metal versions and embellished the casebacks with engraving or miniature artworks. The Reverso seen here, Reference 270.3.63, is the Sun & Moon model. Its 42mm x 26mm 18K white gold case holds a striking black dial with Arabic numerals, a power reserve at 11 o’clock, day/night display at 1, moonphase at 6, and a blued sword handset. Sapphire crystals front and back reveal a manually wound movement—visible here through an exhibition caseback rather than the traditional solid flip side. Paired with a blue alligator strap and white gold deployant clasp, this early-2000s execution is a particularly distinctive and wearable interpretation of the Reverso legacy. A beautifully conceived piece of history—ready for the next chapter.