An Interesting Case… The History of the Almost Century-Old Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Today, there is only one Reverso, with Jaeger-LeCoultre printed on its dial, but this was not always the case. During the 1930s, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier made watches that used the Reverso case for their timepieces. Moreover, the 1931 Reverso was not the first reversible case design. A few years earlier, Universal Geneve was already offering its Le Cabriolet model – a wristwatch in a rectangular case that rested in a frame with a screw at 6 o’clock, which allowed to pop out the inner container, rotate and then snap it back into place. I’ve also encountered mention of one Louis van Bemmel, a citizen of Holland residing at Maastricht in the Kingdom of Holland, as an even earlier inventor of a reversible clock. However, a quick search revealed no patent info… still, it seems the idea of such casing for the watch was in the air, and a few people without knowledge of each other’s work created their versions. 

Unfortunately, the name of Le Cabriolet’s case design creator has been forgotten, yet who stood behind the Reverso by then not-yet-Jaeger-LeCoultre (officially named so in 1937) is known. 

1931 – The Reverso Is Born

A Swiss businessman, César de Trey, while on a trip to India, was challenged by a British army officer to create a wristwatch capable of surviving the harsh environment of the polo match. De Trey called in the help of Jacques-David LeCoultre, already an established name in movement development and production, to design the mechanism. The case creation was entrusted to the French engineer Réne-Alfred Chauvot, who, on March 4, 1931, filed a patent registration request for a “Montre susceptible de coulisser dans son support et pouvant se retourner complètement sur elle-même,” (a watch capable to slide in its casing and able to be flipped entirely on itself) published as FR712868A later the same year in October. 

Even before the publication, already in July, César de Trey bought the rights for the design of the 23-part case from Réne-Alfred Chauvot and, in November, together with Jacques-David LeCoultre, founded a marketing company Spécialités Horlogères S.A. to commercialise the Reverso – de Trey had the name registered – and for distribution of LeCoultre pieces. Case development was ahead of the shaped movement, which LeCoultre had to create from scratch, and the 1931 Reversos were put to market not with a LeCoultre calibre but were powered by Tavannes-made movements (Lisica 063). Only in 1933, LeCoultre would equip the Reverso with its own calibres 410/411 – manually wound, tonneau-shaped 17.85 mm by 24.55 mm, and 3.35 mm thick, built with 17 jewels and operating at 18,000 vibrations/hour. Cal. 410 and 411 differed in seconds indication; the 410 had small sub-seconds, and the 411 featured central seconds. Also, a smaller movement was designed to fit ladies’ models, Cal. 404.

The stylish Reverso, with its pronounced Art Deco aesthetic, was a success, in large part thanks to its versatile and playful spirit – a sports watch by day and an elegant one by night, also providing space for creative expression – engravings and enamelled miniatures on the caseback, and gem-setting, with the early decorated Reverso exemplars inspired by India, and made for the Maharajahs. 

However, for decades, the Reverso would disappear from Jaeger-LeCoultre catalogues, for there was war, and sensibilities shifted. Like many other watchmakers, Jaeger-LeCoultre moved its focus to servicing the needs of the military. Round watches were as popular as ever when the war was finally over; only in the 1970s was Reverso brought into the spotlight by an Italian dealer, Giorgio Corvo. And the story goes like this.

1972, The Return – The Italian Connection

In 1972, Giorgio Corvo, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s agent for Italy, visited the manufacturer in Le Sentier and stumbled upon a remarkable discovery – 200 forgotten Staybrite steel Reverso cases. These cases had been sitting untouched since JLC halted Reverso production in 1948. Seeing an opportunity, Corvo was determined to bring the Reverso back to life and sell it in Italy. However, JLC was hesitant; the company did not have a movement to power the watch.

Undeterred, Corvo took one or two of the cases back to Italy. He gave them to the team of watchmakers and technicians from his after-sales service network. After a year of experimentation, they successfully designed a movement holder that allowed them to fit a JLC Calibre 840 – a small, oval-shaped movement – into the vintage Reverso cases. Corvo then returned to the Vallée de Joux with his prototype in hand.

The Swiss watchmakers were initially taken aback – how had an Italian watchmaker solved a problem they hadn’t yet cracked? But Corvo’s ingenuity couldn’t be ignored. JLC refined and industrialised his system, using it to produce a limited run of Reversos from the 200 rediscovered cases.

The result? A success. Corvo sold all 200 watches in a few months—an incredible feat, considering JLC sold 200 watches in Italy in an entire year. Encouraged by this triumph, JLC quickly got to work on a Reverso relaunch. By 1975, the “Corvo Reverso” was in production, and over the next few years, Jaeger-LeCoultre focused on designing a new and improved case.

Designer Daniel Wild led the charge, not only bringing the Reverso case back but also enhancing its durability and reliability. His new case design was more intricate than the original – now consisting of 55 parts instead of 23 – and, for the first time, waterproof. The Reverso was reborn, thanks to Corvo’s vision and persistence, paving the way for its place as an enduring icon in horology. 

The 1983 Reverso II

Before the Reverso as we know it today was revived with the 60th-anniversary models, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso II in 1983 to celebrate its 150th Anniversary. This version, available with both quartz and mechanical movements, featured a 32mm × 23mm case. Notably, it lacked the signature triple-line motif above and below the dial – an element seen on nearly all other Reverso models.

However, with its more squared proportions, the Reverso II didn’t quite capture the charm of the classic rectangular design that people preferred. Recognising this, the brand refined the concept, introducing a newly designed, water-resistant case while continuing to offer both quartz and mechanical movements. The updated Reverso quickly gained popularity with both men and women. As a result, the Reverso II was phased out, making way for the full-fledged revival of the Reverso line.

The Grand Return of the Reverso – The 1990s Big Six

The 1990s marked the beginning of a new era for the Reverso. To celebrate its 60th Anniversary in 1991, Jaeger-LeCoultre under the direction of Günter Blümlein and Henri-John Belmont, introduced complications to the Reverso for the first time – a pivotal moment in the collection’s evolution. Over the decade, the brand released six limited-edition models, each showcasing one of the traditional watchmaking complications. Many other significant Reverso models emerged during this period; we’ll revisit them later. For now, these first Reverso complications deserve their spotlight outside the timeline.

Reverso Soixantieme 1991

Pleased with the success of the new waterproof model, Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to commemorate the Reverso’s 60th Anniversary with a special edition: the Soixantième. This was a milestone piece – the first Reverso to feature complications but also the debut of the Grande Taille case, a larger design suggested by Gunter Blumlein, then Chairman of the Board of Directors of the LMH Group, owner of Jaeger-LeCoultre, to align with contemporary tastes and, crucially, suitable to house other complications – which would remain in production until 2016 in different materials and with different complications, in standard production and for limited series.

The “Grande Taille” (“Large Size”) case measured 42mm high, 26mm wide, and 9mm thick. The watch retained its signature design elements, including the three accent lines above and below the dial and the subtly rounded case profile. The Soixantième’s complications were a power reserve indicator positioned in the upper left corner of its guilloché-decorated dial and a distinctive date display which sat below, featuring a recessed irregular track and a gold-coloured pointer. Next and outwards, a recessed minute track, interrupted by the overlapping power reserve sector, added further depth. Large Arabic numerals marked the hours, with the 6 omitted for a small seconds subdial and the 12 replaced by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s logo.

Another groundbreaking feature was the display caseback, revealing the hand-wound, exquisitely decorated Caliber 824 movement, crafted in gold. Limited to just 500 pieces, the Soixantième may not have been as mechanically complex as later haute horlogerie Reversos, but it marked a turning point. It was the first to break from the series’ “simplicity”, laying the foundation for an era of increasingly sophisticated Reverso timepieces.

Reverso Tourbillon 1993

The Reverso Tourbillon shared the same Grande Taille case as the earlier Soixantième and stood out with an elegantly understated dial. At first glance, it could be mistaken for a regular time-only model—were it not for the discreet Tourbillon plaque above the round small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The dial maintained the classic Reverso aesthetic, with intricate guilloche-pattern decoration, a rectangular minutes track, and Arabic numerals for the hour markers. The blued hour and minute hands, identical to those on the Soixantième, completed the refined look.

Flipping the case revealed the true highlight: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Caliber 828. Engineered by Sylvain Golay, it was one of the brand’s first-ever series-produced tourbillon-regulated movements. The engraved gold plates concealed much of the movement’s inner workings, but the tourbillon – held in place by a beautifully openworked bridge—was there to be observed. In the upper right corner, a power reserve indicator displays the remaining energy of the 40-hour reserve, adding a functional touch to this 500-piece Reverso model.

Reverso Repetition Minutes 1994

The next evolution in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso lineup came in 1994 with the introduction of the Reverso Répétition Minutes. This watch elevated the series further up into the world of haute horlogerie complications. A defining feature was the round aperture on the dial between 4 and 6 o’clock, offering a glimpse of the spinning governor of the minute repeater. Crafted in gold and with blued screws and rubies, this mechanism and the watch’s function were additionally highlighted by an inscription above the cut-out. Issued as a limited edition of 500 pieces, the Répétition Minutes was housed in a 42mm x 26mm Grande Taille gold case with a ribbed slider on the side to arm and activate the repeater mechanism. Unlike the Tourbillon and Soixantième, this model featured a solid caseback, offering no view into the movement.

Inside, however, was something groundbreaking – Caliber 943, designed by Eric Coudray. This 306-part movement was one of the smallest minute repeater mechanisms ever made and the first rectangular minute repeater movement in history. With two hammers striking against finely tuned gongs, it brought the chimes of a traditional minute repeater to the unmistakable form of the Reverso.

Reverso Chronographe Retrograde 1996

Mastering the chronograph is no small feat, and while it took Jaeger-LeCoultre a few years after the model’s introduction to perfect it, all hats were off in 1996 when the brand unveiled an in-house column-wheel chronograph movement with a retrograde indication, shaped to fit the Reverso Grande Taille case – with added chronograph pushers and an enlarged crown. The dial, crafted from solid silver, was galvanised and adorned with a wave guilloché pattern at its centre. A recessed date aperture sat at six o’clock, while large, vertically arranged Arabic numerals and minute hash marks ensured easy legibility. Classic blued steel sword hands completed the elegant time display.

Subtle details hinted at the watch’s special status. A unique trapezoidal chronograph indicator in the lower right corner of the dial revealed the word Arrêt (French for “stop”). Start the chronograph, and the indicator moves counterclockwise, covering Arrêt and unveiling Marche (“run”) – an elegant and functional touch reinforcing the watch’s mechanical sophistication.

The reverse side revealed the large dial for chronograph seconds above a retrograde scale from 0 to 30 for chronograph minutes, with the column wheel and balance visible to the left and the right, respectively. The movement, Cal. 829 (by Manuel Guerin) was only used in this model; for the detailed story behind the creation and complexity of Reverso Chronographe Retrograde, head to our Collector’s Corner series, with an extensive article on the subject – and a 2022 interview with Matthieu Sauret, Product Marketing & Heritage Director and Philippe Vandel, movement designer and constructor at Jaeger-LeCoultre – who also worked the fifth Reverso in the Pink Gold Limited Edition series – the Reverso Geographic.

Reverso Geographique 1998

Debuting in 1998, the Reverso Géographique built upon the Reverso Duoface concept, allowing the watch’s reverse side to display a second time zone. However, the Géographique took this functionality further by incorporating airport codes, making it easier to select the “away” time with a clear reference to major cities worldwide. The front, or “home,” dial retained the classic Reverso aesthetic, featuring a guilloché pattern and Arabic numerals from 1 to 5 and 7 to 11. A small seconds subdial was located at six o’clock, while a day/night indicator was located at 12.

Flipping the case revealed the black-toned “away” dial, where local hours and minutes were centrally displayed. The Arabic numeral chapter ring enclosed two key indicators: Day/Night and GMT plus/minus, which, as Philippe Vandel noted, allowed the wearer to see which city the day/night indication corresponded to. Below this, the Géographique selector featured three-letter airport codes arranged 12 hours apart for quick reference. A discreet pusher above the crown allowed for home time adjustments, while a rectangular button below the crown set the local time.

The Géographique was housed in a Grande Taille pink gold case. Powering this unique dual-time system was the Caliber 858, a 206-part movement developed exclusively for this 500-piece limited model.

Reverso Quantieme Calendrier Perpetuel 2000

The Reverso Quantième Calendrier Perpétuel, introduced in 2000, was a remarkable addition to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s legacy of horological artistry. Limited to just 500 pieces, this final instalment in a series of six pink gold, limited-edition, complicated Reverso models stood out for its refined aesthetics and unique movement. Housed in the Grande Taille case, it was powered by the Calibre 855, a movement developed by Rachel Torresani and used exclusively in this model.

The front dial elegantly displayed the time with small seconds, accompanied by a day/night indicator at 1 o’clock. A leap year indicator hinted at the watch’s complex perpetual calendar function just below the small seconds subdial. Turning the case over revealed the calendar dial, where a central retrograde hand tracked the date, while a moon phase indicator was positioned at the centre, numbered from 0 to 29 ½ to mark the lunar cycle. Two subdials below indicated the month (with alternating French abbreviations) and the day of the week (also in French). Four discreet correctors inset at each corner of the case allowed for precise adjustments of the calendar functions.

As Jaeger-LeCoultre poetically described in its catalogue, “As the new millennium unfolded, the Reverso Quantième Perpétuel raised the curtain on eternity…” – a fitting tribute to one of the most sophisticated watches crafted within the Reverso lineage.

The Grand Taille Regular Series 1990-2006 – a quick overview

Following the launch of the Reverso Grande Taille 60th Anniversary in 1991, the standard production Reverso Grande Taille powered by caliber 822 was introduced in 1992, and a year later, Reverso Grande Taille Art Deco models in pink or white gold were introduced, with specific art deco dials and a display back with a skeletonised version of the same caliber 822.

In 1994, the company presented the brand new Duoface model, with the new caliber 854, which showed time in two different timezones – one on each dial – managed by the same movement. In 1998, Grande Taille Date, a new model equipped with the caliber 836, with date and day, was added.

Next year, Reverso Grande Taille Sun Moon (calibre 823), with power reserve, moon phase and night & day indicator and to mark the year 2000 Reverso Grande Taille Or Deco, exclusively in pink or white gold with a specific new art deco dial with Arabic numbers was created.

In 2002, a new model was added to the Duoface collection: the Duoface Night & Day, with a night and day indicator at 12 o’clock. In 2004, Reverso Grande Taille Power Reserve references (caliber 823A) were released in pink gold or platinum, and 2006 brought slight modifications to the Reverso Grande Taille time-only and the Reverso Grande Taille Duoface – easily identified thanks to a new guilloché pattern for the time-only models and a rectangular pusher for the Duoface ones.

Reverso Gran Sport 1998-2006

Although the Reverso was initially conceived as a sports watch – or designed for a particular sport – by the 1990s, it was no longer seen as such. For obvious reasons, Reverso missed the chronograph boom of the 1960s and ’70s and, when it was revived in the 1990s, lacked the key traits of a modern sports watch: enhanced water resistance, greater robustness, and a sportier aesthetic. Perhaps recognising this gap, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Gran Sport in 1998, a more rugged and dynamic take on the classic Reverso. This new line would go on to spawn several references and remain in the brand’s catalogue until around 2006.

The first model, the Gran Sport Automatic, debuted with a 43mm × 27mm case featuring a distinctive multi-lug design, further emphasising its sporty character. It was paired with a rubber strap – a rare choice for a Reverso – and powered by the automatic Caliber 960.

That same year, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Gran Sport Duoface, housed in a slightly larger 43.5mm × 28.3mm case with a thickness of 12.6mm. This manually wound model, driven by Caliber 851, featured a dual-time display. The front dial displayed Arabic numerals, a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock, a 24-hour indicator between 10 and 11, and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The reverse dial was dedicated to the second time zone, featuring Arabic numerals, indices, and an eccentric subdial with hour markers for day and night.

In 2001, the Gran Sport Chronograph, equipped with Caliber 859, joined the collection. While it shared the Reverso Grande Taille chronograph’s signature retrograde 30-minute totaliser, the movement – descended from Caliber 829 – remained hidden beneath the reverse-side dial.

The final addition to the lineup came in 2002 with the Gran Sport Duetto, a ladies’ model featuring two dials for dual-time functionality. Encased in a 38.7mm × 24.85mm case, it was powered by the manually wound Caliber 864, which used a pass-through pinion to display two different time zones on either side. An inset corrector at 2 o’clock allowed for quick adjustments. The front dial showcased time with a round small seconds subdial and a power reserve indicator, sweeping from 11 to 1 inside the hour track. The reverse dial displayed the “away” time with centrally positioned hour and minute hands, complemented by a semi-circular day/night indicator at 6 o’clock.

The 2002 Reverso Septantieme

As Reverso’s 70th Anniversary approached, Jaeger-LeCoultre set out to mark the occasion with something grand: a new, larger XGT case (46.5mm tall, 29.0mm wide, and 12.0mm thick) and a special commemorative model. The result was the Septantième – a watch designed to showcase the brand’s mastery of movement manufacturing and aesthetic design while pushing the Reverso collection into a new era.

However, the complexity of developing Caliber 879 – a movement with an impressive 8-day power reserve – delayed the launch by a year, and the Septantième finally debuted in 2002, just after the official Anniversary. It was a watch of many firsts: the first to feature the XGT case, the first Reverso with an 8-day power reserve, and the first to integrate a finely finished white gold movement visible through the reverse side.

Despite housing complications all over the dial, the Septantième maintained a sense of visual harmony. A semi-circular day/night indicator sat in the upper right, while the small seconds subdial in the lower right cleverly incorporated the Reverso name and logo. The big date display was positioned on the left, and the 8-day power reserve indicator occupied the upper left corner.

Though it arrived late to the anniversary celebrations, the Septantième was a turning point for the Reverso, paving the way for larger models – including the Squadra series. But before exploring that evolution, it’s worth revisiting the Grande line, which debuted in 2003.

The Large Reverso Cases

Between 2000 and 2016, Jaeger-LeCoultre produced several variations of the large Reverso, offering four different case sizes. The Reverso Grande, measuring 46.5mm × 29mm × 12mm, was home to some sophisticated models, including the Reverso Grande Automatic, Eight Days, Grande Date, GMT, and Sun Moon.

The Reverso Grande Automatic (Ref. 303) was a dual-time watch featuring a big date and day/night indicator, powered by the self-winding Calibre 970. The Reverso Eight Days (Ref. 301) had a more understated dial, but its caseback featured a small round window displaying a digit that indicated the remaining power reserve, which was exceptionally long for its time. The Reverso Grande Date was powered by the manually wound Calibre 875, offering eight days of autonomy. It featured small seconds, a big date, and a power reserve indicator on the dial, while its beautifully finished movement was visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.

The Reverso Grande GMT displayed local time, small seconds, a day/night indicator, and a big date on the front, while the reverse side featured a second time zone display with hour and minute hands, a 24-hour indicator, a power reserve display (8 days), and an indication of the difference to international GMT. The second time zone hour was adjusted via +/- pushers flanking the crown, making the watch a convenient travel companion. The Reverso Grande Sun Moon, introduced in 2000, balanced indications in an elegant layout. The dial displayed a day/night indicator in the upper right corner, a power reserve indicator in the upper left, and a moon phase at 5 o’clock, which occupied nearly a quarter of the dial space. Like its counterparts, an 8-day movement powered it, the JLC Calibre 873, which was exquisitely finished and visible through the sapphire caseback.

Following the 46.5mm models, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced an even larger Reverso in a 48.5mm × 30mm case, starting with the Grande Reverso Duo Date (Ref. 374), followed by the Grande Reverso 976. This series later expanded to include references such as the Grande Reverso Calendar, Duo, and Duoface Night & Day.

The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin series maintained the grande proportions but with a slimmer profile, measuring 46.8mm × 27.4mm. Only a few references were produced before Jaeger-LeCoultre transitioned to the Classic and Tribute series, which was positioned as the largest Reverso model in 2016, with a few notable exceptions. Now, back to complications.

Reverso Grande Complication a Triptyque – 2006

The extraordinary Grande Complication à Triptyque was presented in 2006 as a limited edition of 75 and was by far the most complex Reverso ever seen. With its nearly twenty complications, it was presented in a platinum case measuring 37.7mm x 55mm x 17.9mm and powered by the 642-component manually wound manufacture movement JLC 175 with the Ellipse Isometer Escapement. The Triptyque was exceptional with its unique three-part display, utilising both sides of the swivelling case and the carrier plate to present a wealth of information.

The front dial shows the time with central hour and minute hands and a 24-hour subdial for day/night indication. A small power reserve indicator sits in the upper left corner. At the same time, a large one-minute tourbillon – featuring an unusually shaped cage that also functions as a running seconds hand – is displayed through an aperture at the lower right. Flipping the case reveals an array of astronomical functions. A silver hand tracks sidereal time on a 24-hour scale, offering a more precise measure of the Earth’s rotation than solar time. A second hand, marked with a small Sun at its tip, is for the Equation of Time.

Additionally, a planispheric star chart makes a full rotation in a sidereal day, showing the stars visible in the sky at any given moment. Surrounding this is a Zodiac scale, where a red line marks the current astrological sign. The lower left and right sections display sunrise and sunset times, adding to the dial’s celestial complexity.

The carrier plate hosts an instantaneous perpetual calendar, with the date displayed in a sector aperture at the bottom and a moon phase indicator above. The day and month subdials are positioned in the upper left and right, while a small round aperture at the top reveals the leap year cycle. Remarkably, the entire calendar module is only 1.7mm thick. At midnight, a pin in the swivelling case emerges, acting as a corrector pusher to advance all indications simultaneously.

The Grande Complication à Triptyque was a testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of haute horlogerie, blending art, science, and mechanical genius into a truly remarkable watch – revealed to celebrate Reverso’s 75th Anniversary and just 15 years after the first complications made it into the Reverso series.

Reverso Squadra 2006-2015

Jaeger-LeCoultre also celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Reverso by introducing the bold and contemporary Squadra. This new addition featured a wide, square inner case, an octagonal crown, and a more robust design, replacing the Reverso Gran’Sport as the sportier option in the lineup. Designed to appeal to a younger audience, the Squadra brought a fresh, dynamic edge to the iconic Reverso collection.

At launch, the Squadra lineup included the Squadra Hometime and Squadra Chronograph GMT, both housed in cases measuring 50.5mm tall × 35mm wide × 13mm thick, as well as the Squadra World Chronograph, which became the first Reverso crafted in titanium, measuring 36mm × 42.5mm × 15.6mm. The Squadra Hometime featured a single dial displaying local time, a home time indicator via a GMT hand, a date function, and an AM/PM display, with running seconds at 6 o’clock. The Squadra Chronograph GMT also had a single dial, with chronograph subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, a second time zone indicator at 6 o’clock, and a big date at 12 o’clock.

Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931 – 2011

Released for the 80th anniversary of the model, at the SIHH 2011, the Grande Reverso Tribute to 1931 is essentially a modern reproduction of the original 1931 model, with an enlarged case but an identical dial design in black, with printed luminous markers, and lumed hands. It’s here an ultra-thin watch with a 7.2mm thin case, despite the reversible construction. This was made possible thanks to the thinness of the Calibre 822. Its steel case is 46mm in length and 27.5mm in width. Maybe important to note is that this faithfulness of the design, its overall restrained elegance, its vintage appeal and its slenderness made it our founder Frank’s favourite Reverso ever.

The Reverso Treasures

In the years before the 2016 collection update, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced several remarkable Reverso models that pushed the boundaries of horology and artistic craftsmanship. In 2006, as part of the 75th-anniversary celebrations of the original Reverso, the brand unveiled the Reverso à Éclipse, a truly unique creation. These timepieces featured dials adorned with miniature enamel paintings hidden beneath a rolling shutter mechanism.

Over the years, the collection showcased artistic themes such as the Famous Nudes series from the works of Renoir, Ingres, Klimt and the Kama Sutra, and reproductions of masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Kazimir Malevich, but also the ‘Travels and Discoveries’ and other series. The concept was developed by Jaeger-leCoultre’s Artistic and Design Director Janek Deleskiewicz and realised by Daniel Wild, and Master Enameller Miklos Merczel was responsible for the miniature masterpieces.

In 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2, distinguished by its twin-axis tourbillon and a cylindrical balance spring. Following in the footsteps of the round-cased Gyrotourbillon 1, this watch was presented in a limited-edition platinum case. Its openworked Calibre JLC 174 was visible on both sides of the Reverso case. The front dial displayed hours, minutes, and small seconds subdial, while the reverse side featured a 24-hour display and power reserve indicator. In 2016, Jaeger-LeCoultre revisited and refined this concept by introducing the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon (Calibre 179). This 2016 model had a noticeably slimmer profile and a more straightforward, wearable design than its predecessor. Today, the same calibre 179 is used to power the Reverso Hybris Artistica, an exemplar bringing forward the mastery of decorative arts as well as the technical prowess of the manufacture’s engineers.

2011, another remarkable innovation emerged: the Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau. This Reverso featured a sliding metal curtain, which, when pushed aside, revealed a hidden dial while simultaneously activating the minute repeater, thus blending horological complication with interactive design.

The Classic, the Tribute and the One (2016 – present)

The 2016 Reverso collection update that we kept mentioning resulted in what now seems to be the most logical solution, which respected the glorious past and accounted for the present context. The result of the update is the current Reverso collection, which comprises three model lines – Classic, Tribute, and One – and offers 12 different case dimensions in Monoface or Duoface design. Reverso One comes in 40.1mm x 20mm cases with manually wound and quartz movements, and Duetto is the name used for the series that offers two faces but not two time zones – the watches display the same hour and minutes on both front and back dials. The Reverso One Duetto is powered by the manually wound Calibre 844 with 50 hours of power reserve. The One Monoface uses quartz movement.

The Classic line offers greater variety in case dimensions. It comprises Classic Duetto and Classic Duoface Small Seconds models powered by mechanical manual-winding and self-winding movements, while some Classic Monoface references rely on quartz for timekeeping. 

Finally, the Tribute series offers complications – a chronograph, calendar, tourbillon regulator, and artistic dials spread across the Monoface and Duoface series. As these are all well presented on the Jaeger-LeCoultre website with all the possible details and variations, we move on to the concluding chapter in our story, the Reverso Quadriptyque.

Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque) 2021

To mark the 90th Anniversary of the Reverso in 2021, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced its most complex iteration yet – the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque), in a 51.2mm × 31mm × 15.15mm case, with 11 complications spread across four distinct display faces. The main dial with a Clous de Paris pattern featured a perpetual calendar with day, date, and month discs, with corresponding frames to highlight the current indication. A flying tourbillon at 7 o’clock and a leap year indicator in the upper right corner further hinted at the watch’s mechanical mastery.

The second face reveals a digital jumping hour display with a minute disc and an intricate minute repeater mechanism. Activated by a slide lever above the crown, the repeater employed trebuchet hammers and crystal gongs to produce a strikingly clear chime.

Inside the watch cradle, the third face presented a remarkable astronomical complication, tracking three distinct lunar cycles: the synodic cycle (phases of the Moon in the Northern Hemisphere), the draconic cycle (the Moon’s position relative to the ecliptic plane), and the anomalistic cycle (the Moon’s varying distance from Earth). By mastering this display, wearers could predict solar and lunar eclipses as well as supermoons—a level of celestial insight rarely found in a wristwatch.

The fourth “dial,” crafted by the artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atelier des Métiers Rares, depicted the Moon’s phases in the Southern Hemisphere. This beautifully engraved and lacquered display featured shades of blue, a starry sky, and a pink-gold Moon, adding an artistic touch to the timepiece’s technical brilliance.

At the heart of the Quadriptyque was Calibre 185, which incorporated a mechanism first seen in the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Grande Complication à Triptyque (2006). At midnight, a tiny pin extended from the main case movement to engage the mechanical corrector in the cradle, ensuring that all displays advanced seamlessly. The Quadriptyque came in an ingenious storage box with a built-in mechanism for setting all calendar and astronomical displays. Its fail-safe design ensured that no matter how enthusiastically one attempted to adjust the settings, the box’s corrector mechanism would never damage the movement. 

The Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 and Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 are now part of the brand’s High Watchmaking collection, representative of the great work done by the company since 1991, when the Soixantième with just the date and power reserve indications paved the way to incredible future developments and complications to be fitted into the rectangular Reverso case.

Concluding Notes

In 2031, Reverso will celebrate its 100th Anniversary, and we can undoubtedly expect special releases to mark the occasion – perhaps another Reverso Hybris Mechanica or something entirely unexpected. The complicated Reverso models have played an important part in cementing the series’ status with collectors, yet the lasting appeal of the Reverso lies in its timeless design, defined by its pronounced Art Deco aesthetic.

Over the decades, various brands across different price segments have explored the concept of a reversible, transformative, and pivoting case, yet the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso remains the definitive reference. Its ability to evolve while staying true to its original spirit has kept it relevant for nearly a century – with some interruptions – and will continue to make it an icon for years to come.