Jaeger-LeCoultre is delighted to present the fifth capsule of The Collectibles, a precisely vetted selection of eight rare Reverso watches dating from 1931 to 1937 being offered to collectors. Among the emblematic models created by the Manufacture during the ‘golden age’ of 20th century watchmaking, the Reverso stands out as one of the most enduring and immediately recognisable designs. New York City, with its great legacy of Art Deco architecture and style, is a particularly fitting setting for the release of these sought-after watches that epitomise the spirit and design values of Art Deco.
The Collectibles Programme
The Collectibles is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house programme dedicated to sourcing, restoring and offering rare, museum-grade timepieces from the golden age of watchmaking. Celebrating nearly 200 years of creativity, it highlights the heritage of La Grande Maison through a curated selection of 17 emblematic models – from the Duoplan and Reverso to the Geophysic, Futurematic and Memovox Polaris – spanning the mid-1920s to the early 1970s. Presented through exclusive capsule releases worldwide, these timepieces invite collectors to become the next custodians of their stories. This commitment to heritage is made possible by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedicated restoration workshop, one of the very few maintained by a Manufacture. Here, ten master watchmakers meticulously restore each piece, servicing movements, hand-rebuilding components and sourcing historical parts from exceptional heritage stocks, while preserving original character and patina. Once restored and certified to museum standards, each timepiece is ready to continue the story it began in the Vallée de Joux.
A Capsule Collection of Rare Reverso Watches
The fifth Collectibles capsule collection explores the first decade after the Reverso’s 1931 debut, showcasing the foundational elements that shaped its timeless design.
Redefining the shape of watchmaking: Created in 1931, the Reverso was born from a challenge posed by polo-playing military officers in British India: to create a timepiece capable of withstanding the sport’s rigours. A masterful integration of form and function, its unique reversible case and sleek, Art Deco lines have made it one of the most immediately recognisable watches of all time. Epitomising the spirit of modernity at the time of its creation, the Reverso quickly transcended its sporting origins, captivating tastemakers and evolving through diverse variations for men and women. Through nine decades the Reverso has continually reinvented itself, both stylistically and mechanically, without ever compromising its identity: it has housed more than 50 different calibres, while its blank metal flip side has become a canvas for creative expression, decorated with enamel, engravings or gemstones. The distinctive and timeless design accounts for much of Reverso’s enduring appeal, its recognition as an icon of Art Deco style and its appreciation by collectors.
Eight vintage timepieces that marked the Reverso story:
- A Reverso 1931 features a black dial – described at the time as “the dial of the future” – a bold design choice at a time when silver dials were the norm. Its railroad minute track and trapezoidal indexes inspired today’s Reverso Tribute aesthetic, showcasing how the very first Reverso is echoing the most modern ones.
- A rare two-tone steel and 9K yellow gold (350/1000) Reverso from 1936 is powered by the Manufacture’s Calibre 410, the first in-house movement developed specifically for the Reverso. Introduced in 1933, this calibre pioneered a small-seconds display at six o’clock. Even though Jaeger-LeCoultre had begun developing its own Manufacture calibre, when the initial idea of the Reverso came about, La Grande Maison sourced movements from Tavannes – Calibre 063 and 064 for men’s models and Calibre 050 and 051 for ladies. This was a crucial, yet temporary, solution to swiftly bring the Reverso to market. Historically, two-tone cases were conceived to enhance durability by combining gold with harder metals, resulting in a watch more robust than a full gold piece.
- Completing the men’s pieces, a 1937 Reverso with Small Seconds houses Calibre 413, the Maison’s fourth in-house Reverso movement. Its black dial bears the name Jaeger-LeCoultre, marking the historic merger of the Le Coultre and Jaeger Maisons in 1937 and providing a precise reference to its year of production.
- The women’s models highlight the Reverso’s early adaptation to different wearers. A Reverso 1931 Dame in yellow and white gold 18k (750/1000) features a white gold cradle with yellow gold lugs and case, while its dial replaces the minute track with corner brackets at each of the four corners of the dial, a design detail echoed today in the Reverso One collection.
- The Reverso 1931 Dame with Double Signature, bears heated blue hands, a traditional watchmaking practice that changes the colour of the hands through a heating process. A rare double signature graces the dial and indicated that limited quantities of Reverso watches were delivered to a select few esteemed retailers, bearing their names.
- The collection also includes a highly unusual feminine piece, the Reverso 1931 fitted with a cordonnet bracelet. Traditionally made of calfskin leather, this slender rope-like strap appears here in chrome, attached on each side of the case via distinctive lugs.
- Finally, two versions of the Reverso 1931 Dame framed by geometric brackets and fitted with black or brown calfskin straps, captures the era’s graphic language, featuring a black dial considered strikingly modern at the time.
Each timepiece offered under The Collectibles programme is presented with an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a complimentary copy of The Collectibles book, as well as a new handmade leather strap chosen to complement the style of each watch, except in cases where the model has a metal bracelet. In addition, when available, the original box and papers together with the original strap or bracelet will be included.