Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

The Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre's most distinctive watch, certainly has an impressive pedigree. Essentially one of the first sports watches, the Reverso combined utility with a sleek and elegant Art Deco exterior that has become an icon of horological design. Though the Reverso appears at first glance a dress watch, it owes its existence to the gentlemanly sport of polo. While touring India in the early 1930s, Swiss businessman César de Trey met a British polo player who'd just cracked the crystal of his watch on the field. De Trey returned to Switzerland with an idea already taken root in his head, which he then discussed with Jacques-David LeCoultre: What if a watch could be made with a case that could reverse? The patent was placed in 1931, and the first Reverso that followed measured 38mm in length, 24 in width. Jaeger-LeCoultre also released the Reverso in gold, and decorated the case back with engravings or even miniatures. But with changing tastes in the 1970s — for round watches as well as quartz movements —Jaeger-LeCoultre ceased production of the Reverso. The model lay dormant for twenty years, until its triumphant re-issue in 1982. While those watches contained quartz movements, their success represented a future for the Reverso. This particular Reverso is one of the most beautiful on the market. Reversos with blue dials are not so common, but the combination is particularly beautiful. The main scape is detailed in dark blue, with a white subsidiary seconds dial, and white numerals at the periphery. The center of the dial is executed in dark blue guilloche. Measuring 26mm in width, this piece features a solid reverse caseback, a blank canvas for any meaningful engraving or enamel decoration, as well as a stainless steel bracelet, which you won't see in JLC's current catalog! If you love the Reverso and want something you aren't likely to see frequently, this is the model for you!