1930s steel vintage Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso watch
A rare, early 1930s steel vintage Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso watch. The case measures 22 x 38 mm (including lugs) and is fitted with a new genuine Jaeger LeCoultre crocodile skin strap and buckle. The case is signed Patent Acier Staybrite, Fab. Suisse and numbered to the back. The calibre 410, manual wind movement is signed LeCoultre Co, with 15 jewels, Unadjusted and numbered. The champagne dial has raised gold Arabic numerals with a subsidiary seconds dial and fine blued steel hands. The dial is signed LeCoultre above the centre.
A truly stunning example of the iconic Reverso wristwatch from the Art Deco period, in fantastic condition!
The Reverso Watch
The story of the Reverso begins after a polo match in India. A group of British officers challenged their friend Cesar de Trey (a watch dealer) to create a watch that was able to resist the serious beatings caused by playing polo. Once back in Europe, Cesar de Trey shared the problem with Jacques-David LeCoultre, who creates the Reverso watch in association with Jaeger, his firm’s French instrument affiliate, and the case was designed by Rene-Alfred Chauvot.
On March 4, 1931, LeCoultre filed a patent for a watch containing about 30 parts. It was able to slide of out its frame and turn around completely using grooves, pins, and a locking mechanism. This allowed the central part of the case to rotate 180 degrees.
The name, “Reverso,” was registered and a new distribution outfit, “Specialités Horlogères,” was created to distribute the finished product. Cases produced by Geneva’s A.E. Wenger and the Tavannes’ calibre 64 movements, completed the package, LeCoultre had no shaped movement suitable for the 1931 debut model. However, in 1933, LeCoultre had produced its first dedicated shaped movement for the Reverso watch, the calibre 410, with the addition of subsidiary seconds in 1934 and also centre sweep seconds in 1935.
The early watches had only Reverso on the dials, with the addition of LeCoultre from 1934. In 1937, following the success of the Reverso wristwatch, the original “Specialités Horlogères” distribution outfit was registered as “Jaeger LeCoultre S.A.”
