Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso - A watch with more than one Side
Let's jump back in time to a time when wristwatches had one of their biggest breakthroughs. In the 1930s, people started noticing the potential of wristwatches and realized how impractical pocket watches really were.
Stylistically, this was a very special time, because the 1930s was the era of Art Nouveau.
Art Nouveau is a style that departs from conventional design principles and follows its own extravagant, fancy line.
Art Nouveau also influenced the design of watches at the time. One example would be a watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Of course, we are talking about the Reverso. If you want to learn more about the Reverso and if you want to know why it is one of the most iconic watches ever to be built, you came to the right place.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is a wristwatch that has its origins in the 1930s. The most distinctive feature of this watch is its rectangular case that you can rotate 180 degrees to reveal the backside of the watch. Besides being known for their high-precision movement, and their perfectly finished watches, they enjoy a very good status among watch fans. These are just some reasons why the Reverso has become an iconic watch.
The brand Jaeger-LeCoultre
The brand Jaeger-LeCoultre can count itself among the oldest watch brands in the market.
In 1833, the young and talented watchmaker Antoine LeCoultre opened his workshop in a little village in the Vallée de Joux, located near Geneva in Switzerland. He was a man of innovation and creativity, and he dreamed about fabricating exceptional watches that would embody the highest precision and aesthetics.
Already early in his career, Antoine LeCoultre would get a lot of recognition for his exceptional movements.
In 1844 he invented the Millionomètre, a contraption to measure a thousandth of a millimeter. Especially these kinds of innovations should pave the way to a future with high-quality watches that have exceptional precision.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Then in 1903, Antoine had an encounter that would change everything for him. He met the famous jeweler, Edmond Jaeger from Paris. Edmond had an idea of a very slim mechanical watch movement that would be fitted into a wristwatch with a case in the Art Deco style. Together, they decided to let these kinds of watches become a reality.
Thus, the brand created many new wristwatches with their own character, which were characterized mainly by innovative, flat movements and set completely new standards in the world of watchmaking. It does not stop at wristwatches. The Atmos, for example, is a table clock, which is operated by the change in room temperature.
After a couple of years, they established themselves as a watch brand and came up with many magnificent models, one of them being their iconic Reverso, a watch that could be turned out of its own case, a feature that was never seen before.
Although the watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre never became as significant as brands like Rolex or Audemars Piguet, they still enjoy a very good reputation in the watch world and are known for their high precision and beautiful designs.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
The history of the Reverso
As we've already mentioned, the Reverso is a square watch with one distinctive feature. The main body of the watch could be slid out of the case and turned 180 degrees to reveal the backside of the watch body.
But how did they come up with such a unique design?
The basic idea behind the Reverso was to create a robust watch that could be used to play polo.
In 1930, a businessman named Cesar de Trey, who was known for selling Swiss watches, contacted JLC (Jaeger-LeCoultre) because he noticed that an Indian polo player had destroyed his wristwatch.
He was looking for a watch that would be strong enough to play polo with.
The solution to this problem was simple. A watch whose case you can simply turn over to protect it from bumps or scratches.
The Reverso was a watch that fit perfectly into the time of its release. Besides that, it was also very good looking with a revolutionary design, which is why it quickly got very popular.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Technology and quality
The watches of Jaeger-LeCoultre are known for their innovative and high-quality movements. This is not surprising if we consider that Jaeger-LeCoultre also produced watch movements for watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or Patek Phillipe Nautilus.
For example, just for the Reverso, you can choose between 50 different calibers that all have their unique complications.
Because there are so many different movements, there would be too many things to take a look at for this single blog post. So let's just take a look at the most important aspects of the Reverso’s movement.
JLC is known to produce exceptional calibers. One obvious thing that stands out about the caliber of the Reverso, is that they have to be rectangular due to the shape of the watch. A problem that the Swiss watch manufacturer solved with ease.
The innovative spirit of Jaeger-LeCoultre already showed in their first calibers in the 1930s. The caliber 822 was only 2.94 millimeters thick and was made up of only 108 components. This allowed the watch to be this thin while still having a case that could rotate 180 degrees.
Another exceptional caliber was the Duo Face caliber 854. A movement that could show two different time zones on the front and back side of the watch, basically making it a GMT watch.
The exact calibers of the Reverso vary, of course, depending on which complications are built in. Nevertheless, you can always be sure that you get an exceptionally good movement, which is a piece of craftsmanship.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
The design of the Reverso
I guess the most unique thing about the Reverso is its design. That is a perfect combination of functionality and the Art Deco aesthetics.
The Art Deco was a style that originated from Art Nouveau and was mainly used in the first third of the 20th century. The era was an artistic direction that covered fashion, art, literature, and much more. It is known for standing out from conservative classical ideas and redefining what’s beautiful.
A big part of Art Nouveau is its organic, unconventional, and asymmetric shapes. On the other hand, the Art Deco style is known to be the symmetrical version of Art Nouveau. This style was very popular in the 1930s and plays a big role in the design and geometry of the Reverso.
For example, the case of the Reverso is in the golden ratio, a design ideal for which Art Deco is known.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
But of course, the special thing about the Reverso is not just that it's rectangular, but that the case could be turned 180 degrees to reveal the backside of the movement. To make this possible, they faced the challenge of engineering a mechanism that looked good and was reliable and secure. They achieved this with some sliding pins and some spring-loaded pins to hold the watch in place.
As we've already mentioned, the design of the Reverso fits the time it was released very well. With its rectangular case, the geometric forms, and the straight lines, to this day, this watch is very characteristic. At the same time, the transition from the case to the bracelet looks very organic, which makes the watch even more unique.
All in all, the Reverso is a very elegant watch that embodies the Art Deco style perfectly.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Models and configurations
As mentioned before, Jaeger-LeCoultre has already developed over 50 different calibers. With different complications and various dial options, there is a movement for everyone.
The most remarkable complication must be the dual phase function, basically, it is 2 calibers merged into one watch. With this movement, you have a regular dial on one side, and if you flip around the case, you have a secondary dial which gives the watch a GMT function.
But there is more, JLC also has some calibers with complications, such as chronographs, tourbillons, perpetual calendars, and a lot more.
When it comes to this, to the styling of the watch case and dial, there are no limits in creativity either.
You can have the watch in all different kinds of metals, with different bracelets or leather bands, in different colors and in some cases, there are even decorative engravings on the watch. Of course, factory set gemstones like diamonds on your Reverso are also very popular.
The Reverso is the most famous watch of Jaeger-LeCoultre. This is why there are so many options to choose from.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Prices and Value Development
When it comes to the price of the Reverso, it depends a lot on which model you want to buy. Because as we've mentioned, there are a lot of different models with some cheaper beginner watches and some very expensive and complex watches.
The most basic model at Jaeger-LeCoultre is around 10,000 Euro. However, you can also buy the Reverso Gran Sport or the Classique used on the secondary market for as low as €4000. Of course, the price depends on the condition of the watch.
There are a lot of different models, models that are known to be very value stable, because they are absolutely unique watches that are very popular among watch fans.
Of course, this depends a lot on the model, for example, the Reverso Répétition, that is limited to a very small number of watches, is one of the most famous models, which is why it has had a very good value development.
But, for example, with the Reverso Classic, it's a different thing. As mentioned before, you can buy the Reverso Classic for about 40% of its original price.
In the end, you have to look for yourself, which complications or which model is suitable for you. However, if you are looking for watches that can serve as a good financial asset, you should definitely take a look at our article " Luxurywatches as an Investment".
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Conclusion
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is an absolutely unique watch. The case that can be rotated 180 degrees is something never seen before on a wristwatch and was an absolutely unique feature for its time. Meanwhile, the design is classic, characteristic, and very representative of the Art Deco style.
It must be the perfect combination of functionality and beautiful design that makes the Reverso so popular in the watch community.
Besides the unique approach to this watch, JLC also has received a lot of recognition for their mechanical watch movements, that are of the highest quality.
Overall, the Reverso is simply a very coherent wristwatch that should be something for those who want to stand out from the crowd.
About the author
Alexander Weinberger
For me, the most fascinating thing about watches is the interplay between precise craftsmanship and artistic development. In a watch movement, hundreds of small parts have to be put together precisely so that they form a large whole.
