The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso: an Art Deco canvas for creativity and collaboration
- Waltana
- Nov 7
- 10 min read
Few watches in horological history have transcended their functional origins to become canvases for artistic expression. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, born in 1931 from the necessity of polo players in British India, has evolved from sports watch to Art Deco icon to a platform for collaboration between haute horlogerie and high fashion. Its reversible case—initially designed to protect watch glass from polo mallets—has become a blank canvas for engravers, enamellers, and fashion designers alike. This is the story of how a watch created for sport became one of the most artistically significant timepieces in luxury watchmaking.
The Art Deco genesis: form meets function
Born from challenge, perfected by design
Partnering with Jacques-David LeCoultre, entrepreneur César de Trey enlisted designer René-Alfred Chauvot to develop a swiveling case, leading to a 1931 patent and the birth of the Reverso - where Art Deco elegance met technical ingenuity.
At a time when pocket watches dominated, the Reverso boldly introduced the wristwatch, reshaping how time was worn. Its rectangular form defied the centuries-old tradition of round timepieces, while its striking coloured dial and index markers broke away from the conventional silver dials with Roman and Arabic numerals.
"The Reverso emerged as a true innovation, transforming the world of watchmaking... The real genius, however, lay in its swivelling case, an unprecedented feature that blended mechanical ingenuity with refined elegance."
— Jaeger-LeCoultre
The roaring twenties context
The Reverso's creation was deeply rooted in the transformative 1920s, a period of social and technological upheaval known as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby: "The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the buildings were higher, and the morals were looser".
The Reverso emerged at the height of the Art Deco movement, and its design captures that era's essence perfectly. The rectangular case, clean geometric lines, and stepped bezel embodied Art Deco's celebration of modernity, symmetry, and industrial aesthetics merged with luxury craftsmanship.
The Reverso as artistic canvas
A blank canvas from day one
Designed to respond to a practical need, the back of the Reverso is a blank canvas inspiring our expert craftsmen to express their exceptional know-how with personalised enamelling, engraving or miniature painting.
From 1931, the backs of Reverso watches were personalised with engravings or enamel miniatures. This tradition began immediately upon the watch's introduction, transforming each Reverso into a potential unique piece—a personal talisman bearing family crests, initials, dedications, or intricate artistic scenes.
Historic artistic commissions
One of the rarest creations featured the portrait of a beautiful Indian lady, probably a Maharani, whose story remains one of the best-kept secrets in the history of the Reverso. This mysterious piece exemplifies how the Reverso became a medium for miniature portraiture—a Renaissance art form adapted for the wrist.
The engraved back of the Balbo Reverso, celebrating the journey made by Italo Balbo across the Atlantic - 1933, demonstrated how the watch could commemorate historic achievements, transforming timekeeping into wearable history.
Fashion partnerships: when Haute Horlogerie meets Haute Couture
Christian Louboutin x Jaeger-LeCoultre (2016): The 85th Anniversary collaboration
Celebrating 85 years as one of the most enduring and beloved designs in watch history, the Reverso was treated to a brand new wardrobe of straps in dashing new colours and textures. For the Reverso's 85th anniversary, Jaeger-LeCoultre approached Christian Louboutin—the legendary footwear designer known for his signature red-soled shoes—to reimagine the Reverso strap.
"On such a small item I wanted to include and play with ideas from the expansive worlds of colour, form, reflection and transparency," commented Christian Louboutin on his artistic collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre.
"My work is rooted in femininity, and [in this project] I never lost the vision that I should keep this very feminine side," explained Louboutin. "I wanted to take this very rectangular, perfect design, and bring into it an element of circles."
The Atelier Reverso Collection
Louboutin used as his "canvas" for these creations the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duetto, available in two case sizes and featuring the Reverso collection's hallmark two dial faces with swiveling case. The collaboration produced watches where the front features the traditional dial and Art Deco-influenced lines of the Duetto family, while the back dial is framed by two rows of diamonds and shows off the wildly creative use of colors and textures all too familiar to fans of Louboutin's coveted shoes.
Specific designs included:
The Iridescent Rainbow: One model's back dial features a shimmering, iridescent orange-tones sunburst pattern, with the iridescent theme continuing onto the leather strap, which displays a range of green, blue, and purple tones.
The Transparent Strap: A clear, transparent plastic strap playing with reflection and transparency
The "Loopi-Loop": A lipstick-red plaited strap featuring sexy peek-a-boo holes in its centre
The Officer Strap: Black and red Officer straps with scrolled trimmings in either white or yellow gold chain, resembling the trimmings on Michael Jackson's Hussar-inspired jackets
"I do very, very few collaborations, because it also needs to feel like a challenge to me. To simply add red isn't a challenge. What I really wanted to do was marry our two DNAs and see how they might work together."
— Christian Louboutin
The collaboration extended beyond product to include a short film starring actress and model Elisa Sednaoui, directed by Olga de Grèce, showcasing how the Reverso's dual personality could match different moods and occasions throughout a woman's day.
Casa Fagliano: Argentine Elegance
The Reverso Tribute pays homage to the colourful models made in 1931. Today, its sunray-brushed dial is adorned with colours to bring a strong sense of style without compromising the integrity of the original design. The matching strap, specially designed by the famous Argentinian bootmaker Casa Fagliano, brings even more character to the Reverso Tribute models.
Casa Fagliano, renowned for crafting bespoke polo boots since 1892, brings full-circle symmetry to the Reverso partnership—a watch created for polo players now featuring straps from polo's most prestigious bootmaker. The Casa Fagliano straps feature the same leather craftsmanship and attention to detail that makes their boots coveted by polo professionals worldwide.
Valextra: Italian leather craftsmanship
In 2012, in partnership with the Italian luxury leather goods brand Valextra, Jaeger-LeCoultre began offering a two-tone version of its ladies' Reverso watch. Valextra, founded in Milan in 1937, epitomizes Italian luxury through minimalist aesthetic and exceptional craftsmanship—values perfectly aligned with the Reverso's Art Deco purity.
This collaboration represented a meeting of artisanal philosophies: both houses prioritize discrete luxury, timeless design, and handcrafted excellence over overt branding. The Valextra straps brought Milanese elegance to Swiss watchmaking, demonstrating how leather goods artisans could enhance horological masterpieces.
Celebrity devotees: the Reverso's famous admirers
Catherine Deneuve: the collector
Deneuve's style-icon status extends to a love of watches: She's collected pieces by Cartier, Patek Philippe and Van Cleef & Arpels, and owns several vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre pieces in diamonds and platinum. And yes, a Reverso is also found in her collection.
"I like it because it's very cool. You can wear it everywhere, and it's classic but also subtle."
— Catherine Deneuve
Clive Owen: brand ambassador
Jaeger-LeCoultre brand ambassador Clive Owen attended the 85th anniversary celebration wearing the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon, a limited-edition platinum watch crafted to commemorate the anniversary. Owen has long been associated with the brand, embodying the sophisticated, understated elegance that the Reverso represents.
Nicholas Hoult: family heritage
Nicholas Hoult's Reverso Classic Large Small Second is personalized with an engraving of his two-year old son's initials. Hoult explained: "I engraved the initials 'HKH' as a way to honor my son and keep him close to me every day. Timepieces have a tradition in my family of being passed down between generations. I am excited to pass along this watch to my son one day."
Hoult added that his interest in watches began through his own father's fascination with timepieces. This generational connection exemplifies how the Reverso has become a vehicle for family heritage and personal storytelling.
Amanda Seyfried: a dog's best friend
Amanda Seyfried, known for her performances in Hollywood blockbusters Les Misérables (2012) and 2008's Mamma Mia!, has been a friend of Jaeger-LeCoultre since 2019. Seyfried chose an engraved reproduction of her dog Finn on the flip side of her lovely Reverso, stating that he has been a constant companion and lucky charm since she rescued him from an animal shelter.
Hollywood on the wrist
Bruce Wayne/Batman, played by English actor Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight" from 2008, was in the movie wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso XGT Grande Date 8 Day. The watch's appearance in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy introduced the Reverso to millions of viewers, associating it with Bruce Wayne's sophisticated taste.
Pierce Brosnan, the Irish actor and former James Bond, wore a 35mm Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra Hometime with an 18K rose gold case. Brosnan starred in movies and TV-shows during his career but is probably most known for playing Bond between the years of 1994-2005.
Timothée Chalamet was seen wearing a 33mm Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Medium Duoface Small Second in stainless steel with a white dial and quartz movement. The young actor's choice demonstrates the Reverso's appeal across generations—from Hollywood legends to contemporary stars.
Mr. Jay-Z was seen with a beautiful Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso at the Grammys, bringing the Art Deco icon to hip-hop's elite and demonstrating the watch's versatility across cultural spheres.
Notable limited editions and technical masterpieces
The Gyrotourbillon era
In 2016, the 85th anniversary of the model was celebrated with the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon. Measuring 51.1 mm x 31 mm with a thickness of 12.4 mm and crafted from platinum, the Tribute Gyrotourbillon was around 30% smaller in terms of both width and thickness of the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 introduced in 2008.
This extraordinary piece demonstrated Jaeger-LeCoultre's ability to house complex complications within the Reverso's rectangular case. The gyrotourbillon—a multi-axis tourbillon—represents one of watchmaking's most challenging complications, requiring exceptional technical mastery to fit within the Reverso's distinctive architecture.
The Reverso Repetition Minutes à Rideau (2011)
Presented in 2011, the Reverso Repetition Minutes à Rideau takes its juggling with the visible and the hidden, and with technique and beauty, to a new level. This minute repeater featured a mechanism that opened like a theater curtain, revealing the dial while the watch chimed—a poetic fusion of visual and auditory artistry.
The Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface (2018)
In 2018 Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated the 185th anniversary of the brand with the Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface combining the duoface concept with a flying tourbillon (a 50-piece limited edition). This watch showcased how modern complications could enhance rather than compromise the Reverso's Art Deco aesthetic.
The Reverso One Precious Flowers
On the reverse side, a stunning decorative tableau comes to life through the fusion of three intricate techniques. Delicate arum flowers are created by using grand feu champlevé enamel—a demanding process that involves no fewer than five meticulous stages and multiple firings at 800°C. These enamelled blooms are set against a dazzling backdrop of snow-set diamonds, a task requiring 45 hours to individually place all 409 stones by hand.
This piece exemplifies the Reverso's evolution from sports watch to jewelry timepiece, demonstrating the exceptional métiers d'art that Jaeger-LeCoultre's artisans can achieve on the Reverso's canvas.
The 1931 Polo Club: returning to roots
With the 1931 Polo Club, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the origins of an icon, tracing the Reverso's genesis to its conception on a polo field in India in 1930 and its roots in the transformative decade preceding it.
Providing a rich experience of this world, the Watches and Wonders booth was inspired by the design of the grand stables of aristocratic houses, where polo was played on private fields. The immersive experience featured a spectacular six-metre-high horse made using volumetric LED technology, animated in a show of its beauty and power, creating a holographic effect as it moves through 360 degrees.
The Atelier Reverso: democratizing personalization
The new Atelier Reverso program enables anyone to design his or her own watch from the existing case, strap and movement choices. This program, launched for the 85th anniversary, brought the Reverso's tradition of personalization to a broader audience.
Atelier Reverso opens the doors to a world of personalisation possibilities for models of the Reverso Classic Duo and Duetto families. Customers can now select from various dial colors, strap options (including the Louboutin designs), and caseback engravings, creating truly personal timepieces that honor the Reverso's 90-year tradition of individual expression.
Why the Reverso endures as an artistic platform
The Reverso stands as a true embodiment of its era, seamlessly blending modernity, Art Deco elegance, sporting DNA, and groundbreaking innovation. Over the span of more than 90 years, it has evolved without ever losing its essence.
The perfect canvas
Several factors make the Reverso uniquely suited for artistic collaboration:
The blank caseback: Provides a large, flat surface ideal for engraving, enameling, or miniature painting
Dual personalities: Two dials allow for contrasting expressions—classic on one side, artistic on the reverse
Iconic design: The Art Deco architecture provides a strong foundation that can accommodate bold artistic interventions without losing identity
Rectangular case: The shape offers natural boundaries for artistic composition, like a miniature canvas
Heritage of personalization: From 1931 onward, customization has been intrinsic to the Reverso's identity
Fashion's embrace
The Reverso has become fashion's favorite watch because it bridges two worlds: it offers the technical credibility and heritage of Swiss haute horlogerie while providing the customization, artistic expression, and style versatility that fashion demands. Unlike round sports watches that dominate men's luxury, the Reverso's rectangular elegance and artistic possibilities make it equally appealing to women and fashion-forward men.
More than a watch
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso isn't a watch for everybody's taste, but what it is, is a piece of art, a symbol of ingenuity, and a testament to an iconic design. The Reverso represents watchmaking's rare achievement: a design so perfectly conceived that it requires no fundamental revision after nearly a century.
From César de Trey's challenge on an Indian polo field to Christian Louboutin's iridescent straps, from Maharani portraits to Nicholas Hoult's son's initials, the Reverso has remained constant in one regard: it is a canvas. A canvas for personal expression, artistic collaboration, and individual storytelling. Each flip of the case reveals not just another dial, but another dimension of its wearer's personality, another chapter in the Reverso's ongoing narrative.
Whether adorned with Casa Fagliano's polo-inspired leather, Louboutin's fashion-forward straps, Valextra's Milanese refinement, or a personal engraving commemorating a child, a pet, or a moment in time, the Reverso transcends its role as timekeeper. It becomes a wearable artwork, a personal talisman, and a vehicle for self-expression—all while maintaining the Art Deco purity that made it revolutionary in 1931.
This is why the Reverso endures. Not despite its artistic evolution, but because of it. The watch that César de Trey challenged Jacques-David LeCoultre to create for polo players has become something greater: a platform where haute horlogerie, haute couture, and personal artistry converge on your wrist.
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