Looking back to 4 March 1931, at 1:15 pm, at the INPI (National Industrial Property Institute) in Paris: René-AlfredChauvot officially patents his invention of a "wristwatch which can slide on its base and flip over on itself”. The Reversowatch was born.
The original patent and drawings of the Reverso
It all started during the winter of 1930-1931. While travelling in India, the Swiss businessman and watch collector César de Trey attended a polo match at a club of British army officers. One of these officers, who had just broken the glass of his watch, challenged de Trey to create a watch model robust enough to resist to a polo match.
César de Trey discussed the idea with Jacques-David LeCoultre, the then owner of the LeCoultre manufacture, who could provide the movements for the new watch.
LeCoultre appointed the firm Jaeger S.A. for the creation of the reversible case, which in turn contracted the French designerRené-Alfred Chauvot, the actual inventor of the unique slide and flip mechanism.
The result was an elegant watch with a dial that could flip, protecting it from shocks while offering a case back with a generous surface that could be used for personalisation.
The original Reverso - 1931
The original Reverso case was 38 mm long, 24 mm large and 6 mm high, pretty close to the size of today's Reverso Classic (40.1 mm x 24.4 mm x 7.56 mm).
A dial variation - 1931
The dial of the original model featured only hours and minutes hands. It was only in 1934 that LeCoultre introduced a version withsmall seconds counter at six o'clock.
A chocolate-toned dial in this Reverso featuring
the small seconds sub-dial at six o'clock - 1935
In 1937 Jaeger S.A. and LeCoultre merged officially becoming Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Representing an elegant and sophisticated response to a technicalchallenge, the Reverso established itself as a great Art Deco classic constantlyinspiring the watchmakers, artists and inventors of the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre toreinterpret the back of the watch.
Vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Advertisements
From 1931, thebacks of Reverso watches were personalised with engravings or enamel miniatures.
The engraved back of the Balbo Reverso, celebrating the
journey made by Italo Balbo across the Atlantic - 1933
One of the rarest creations featuredthe portrait of a beautiful Indian lady, probably a Maharani, whose story remains one of the best-kept secrets in thehistory of the Reverso.
The back of the "Maharani" Reverso - 1936
Advertising campaign describing the Reverso as the ideal army watch
because of its ability to withstand knocks -1943
Unfortunately, after World War II, with the mode switching to round watches, the symbol of the Art Deco was somehow disregarded compared to previous years. In the late 60s, the invasion of Japanese quartz watches putmechanical watcheson the back burner for a while.
Luckily, anItalian watch dealer, Giorgio Corvo, noticed some unused Reverso cases at the Manufacture on a visit in 1972. Hebought all of the remaining stock (200 empty cases), hadmovements installed and sold them all in Italy.
Confident that Reverso's re-launch would be a success, Corvo convinced the brand to use only mechanical movements inits models.Finally, in 1982 the Reverso was revived by JLC in a line of watchesthat housed mostly quartz movements.
In 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the first-ever water-resistant Reverso case. This required a complete makeover to offer unprecedented wearing comfort and guaranteetotal security in pivoting.
The first ever water-resistant Reverso case - 1985
While the first model ofthe Reverso comprised about 30 parts, it could only be swivelled at the far end of the cradle and it wasnot water-resistant, the second generation was not only water-resistant but it could also swivel at any point along thecradle.Each Reverso case now consisted of over 50 components,making it one of the most complicated cases in watchmaking.
The Reverso 60ème launched the era of limited editions of Reverso models with complications. Framed by a large-size18 ct pink gold case, the solid silver guilloché dial conceals a hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 824 with a power-reserve and date hand.
Reverso 60ème - 1991
Other 500-piece limited editions soon followed: a tourbillon in 1993, a minuterepeater in 1994, a retrograde chronograph in 1996, a dual time zone in 1998 and a perpetual calendar in the year 2000.
Reverso Tourbillon - 1993
In 1994, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Duoface concept with the back of the watch featuring a second dial although driven by a single movement.
Reverso Duoface - 1994
Two years later, La Grande Maison introduced the Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde, a limited edition of 500 pieces that represented an extraordinary technical feat with its Calibre 829 organizing the various indications on the two dials.
The Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde - 1996
For its 70th birthday in 2001, the Reverso acquired an 8-day double barrel, giving it enhanced accuracy offered by teaming a high-frequency balance wheel with over a week’s running power. 500 examples were made.
Reverso 70ème - 2001
With its patented large date, theanniversary model opened the chapter of the Grande Reverso, which would inherit its chief characteristics and incorporatethem in models, like the Reverso Grande GMT,offering useful functions such as time zones, day/night indication and instant power reserve.
Reverso Grande GMT - 2004
Year 2006 sees the world's first ever watch to contain three dials driven by a single movement. In fact, the Reverso Grande Complication a Triptyque features three dimensions of time: civil, sidereal and perpetual.
Reverso Grande Complication a Tryptique - 2006
A sumptuous approach to absolute precision, the three-dimensional developmentof the spherical tourbillon of the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 -introduced in 2008- fascinates with the rotation speed of its two carriages – one rotation in 18.75 seconds for theinner carriage and one turn per minute for the outer carriage. For the first time, a wristwatch runs on a cylindricalhairspring.This masterpiece houses three major complications: a spherical tourbillon; a perpetual calendar with double retrograde indicators andsolar time with the equation of time.
Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 - 2008
To celebrate its 80th birthday, Reverso came out with a fresh take on the absolute classicism of its Art Deco lines, withthe Grande Reverso Ultra Thin including two Tribute to 1931 models in honour of the very first Reverso models.
Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 - 2011
Also presented in 2011, the Reverso Repetition Minutes a Rideau takes its juggling with the visible and the hidden, and withtechnique and beauty, to a new level.
Reverso Rideau à Répétition Minutes - 2011
In 2016, the 85th anniversary of the model was celebrated with the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon.
Measuring 51.1 mm x 31 mm with a thickness of 12.4 mm and crafted from platinum, the Tribute Gyrotourbillon was around 30% smaller in terms of both width and thickness of the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 introduced in 2008.
Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon - 2016
The front face features a finely grained white round dial swept over by blued steel Dauphine-type hands with a day/night indicator at 11 o’clock. A hand-crafted sunburst guilloché pattern frames the tourbillon. The other face demonstrates the art of the Manufacture’s engravers that finely hand-decorated the bridges of the openworked movement. Displaying a second time zone, this side also carries a day/night indicator in 24-hour mode at 2 o’clock as well as a small seconds hand driven by the tourbillon.
In this exceptional timepiece, the hemispherical balance-spring and the Gyrolab balance-wheel, distinguished by a non-circular configuration that considerably reduces air friction, are by themselves a demonstration of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s rare technical mastery.
Following in the footsteps of the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon, in 2018 Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated the 185th anniversary of the brand with the Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface combining the duoface concept with a flying tourbillon (you can read more about this 50-piece limited editionhere).
Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface - 2018
In 2021, La Grande Maison celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Reverso by releasing the most complicated timepiece ever presented in this collection, the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque, the world’s first wristwatch with four functioning display faces.
An exceptional creation that brings together a total of 11 complications including perpetual calendar, minute repeater, indications of the synodic, draconic and anomalistic cycles. 12 patents were filed by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Read about this horological masterpiecehere.
Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque - 2021
Taking cues from the inaugural Reverso Chronographe of 1996, Jaeger-LeCoultre crafted the new Calibre 860, seamlessly integrating a chronograph with a double-sided display of time. This effort culminated in 2023 in the introduction of the Reverso Tribute Chronograph, housed within the Reverso Tribute case and presented in two variations: stainless steel or pink gold.
The Reverso Tribute Chronograph in pink gold - 2023
Remarkably, despite the intricate movement comprising over 300 components, this chronograph model maintains a slim profile, measuring less than 12 mm thick, a true embodiment of Jaeger-LeCoultre's unwavering dedication to elegance.
As it approaches a century of history, the Reverso's narrative, intricately woven with threads of innovation and artistry, maintains its captivating allure, leaving us in eager anticipation of its next unfolding.
By Alessandro Mazzardo.
Latest revision January 19, 2024.
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