The Reverso watch was officially patented in 1931 by René-Alfred Chauvot, a Swiss watchmaker and collector. The watch was designed to be robust enough to resist a polo match and was created by Jacques-David LeCoultre, who appointed Jaeger S.A. for the creation of the reversible case. The original Reverso case was 38 mm long, 24 mm large, and 6 mm high.
From 1931, the backs of Reverso watches were personalised with engravings or enamel miniatures. The Balbo Reverso, celebrating Italo Balbo's journey across the Atlantic, featured an engraved back featuring a beautiful Indian lady. The "Maharani" Reverso, a watch designed for the army, was described as the ideal watch due to its ability to withstand knocks.
After World War II, the symbol of Art Deco was disregarded, and mechanical watches were put on the back burner. Italian watch dealer Giorgio Corvo bought all unused Reverso cases in 1972, convinced that the brand would use only mechanical movements in its models. In 1982, the Reverso was revived by JLC in a line of watches housed mostly quartz movements.
In 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the first-ever water-resistant Reverso case, which required a complete makeover to offer unprecedented wearing comfort and guarantee total security in pivoting. The Reverso 60ème launched the era of limited editions of Reverso models with complications, such as a tourbillon, minute repeater, retrograde chronograph, dual time zone, and perpetual calendar.
