Reverso Turns Ninety: The Story of a Grand Young Lady

<p>In the 1930s, watchmaking was all about round watches, containing round movements, intended for the chic <em>soirées</em> of the interwar period. And then a rectangular watch, powered by a rectangular movement, emerged on the scene, made for an extremely brutal sport: polo. Despite going against the flow, <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/jaeger-lecoultre/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso/">Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso</a> made its mark and went on to become an icon. This is its secret story.</p>
<p>Have you heard of César de Trey? Probably not. Truth to tell, if he hadn’t been involved in the creation of <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/blog/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-buying-guide-history.html">LeCoultre’s Reverso</a>, he would probably have disappeared into the mists of history. In 1930, César de Trey, a successful entrepreneur and acquaintance of Jacques-David LeCoultre (he of the Parisian company Jaeger SA) was travelling to India, where British army officers had fallen in love with the game of polo. He was keen to find a way of protecting the crystals and dials of their watches during matches, and came up with the idea of a dial that could be turned upside down. De Trey approached LeCoultre with the concept, and a French industrial designer, René-Alfred Chavot, was tasked with bringing it to life.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-1162879" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/04-13-2021-Blog-JLC-1.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="429" /></p>
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<h3>In record time</h3>
<p>On March 4, 1931, the Paris patent office received an application to file for “a watch capable of sliding into its housing and turning over completely”. From that point onwards, the project picked up speed. In July, de Trey purchased the rights from Chavot. In November 1930, he filed the Reverso name, from the Latin for “I turn round”. Keen to start marketing without further delay, de Trey and Jacques-David LeCoultre signed a partnership and started production immediately, with the result that the first watches were put on sale less than nine months after the patent application.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-1162880" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/04-13-2021-Blog-JLC-2.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="524" /></p>
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<p>Success was immediate; the Reverso was the epitome of the Art Deco spirit. Gold and StayBrite steel cases, renowned at the time for being scratchproof, quickly appeared, as did ladies’ models. It was also at this time that the first coloured dials and engraved cases emerged.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-1162881" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/04-13-2021-Blog-JLC-3.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p>
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<h3> Rebirth</h3>
<p>However, this rapid expansion was soon cut short, firstly by the Second World War, and then by the arrival of quartz. A few enlightened watch-lovers did however clinch some great deals: the Italian <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/jaeger-lecoultre/">Jaeger-LeCoultre</a> distributor Giorgio Corvo bought the last 200 Reversos, which sold out within a month.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-1162882" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/04-13-2021-Blog-JLC-4.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="503" /></p>
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<p>In 1975, the Reverso rose from its ashes. A man named Daniel Wild was then tasked with bringing it back into line with the spirit of the age, which he did from 1981 onwards. Four years later, in 1985, the new Reverso was born. Today, its waterproof, reversible case is now CNC machined and sports 55 components, rather than the original 23.</p>
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<p>In 1991, the Reverso turned 60 and took on the appearance we are familiar with today. The Duoface followed in 1994, displaying a different time on each side. The new women’s Reverso would henceforth be known as the Duetto. The bright colours of the original dials made a comeback, featuring bright red, chocolate, burgundy, and blue lacquer. With them came highly creative straps, such as those created in partnership with Louboutin and Casa Fagliano.</p>
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<p>After various exploratory moves in the 1990s and early 2000s (not least the GranSport collection), followed by several grandes complications (including a gyrotourbillon, an 8-day power reserve, the 1996 retrograde chronograph, and the 2012 caliber 175 grande complication), three collections have become established: One, Tribute, and Classic. The adaptable, flexible Reverso, ready to embrace the ethos of the day, still occasionally engages in various experiments in style and craftsmanship. And in an ultimate irony, the watch that was swept aside by quartz now includes some references equipped with it. The Reverso, the first sporty-chic watch in history, has come down through the ages – and the winds of fashion – with unique elegance.</p>
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Jaeger-LeCoultre

Written By

Olivier Müller

Olivier Müller is a professional luxury journalist and consultant. He divides his time between Geneva and Paris, covering especially horology-related topics for a dozen or so magazines and specialist websites in Europe. He is also a regular speaker at various events. In 2008, Olivier Müller set up Delos Communications to manage the writing side of his business, spanning many different countries. Delos Communications also provides consultancy services for luxury communication, helping brands as they define and implement their strategy in terms of positioning, messages and audience.

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