Jaeger-LeCoultre watches transcend time by delicately balancing Haute Horlogerie with imaginative, timeless designs. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is a perfect example of this. Its iconic rectangular design has been an expression of Swiss elegance and expert mechanical engineering since its conception back in the 1930s. Nestled deep in a peaceful Swiss valley in the Vallee de Joux, artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre have the snow-dusted pine tree cones within the Jura Mountains to serve as an inspirational backdrop to innovative designs like the Reverso.

The famous Reverso watch has been turning heads for decades with its clever case design that can be flipped over to reveal a different face or a spacious caseback for engraving a special message upon. In this definitive guide to Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watches, we’ll look at some of the collection’s most popular designs whilst exploring the history of the model and how it came to be a symbol of enduring style and elegance.

Surprisingly, for a watch so elegant, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch was not designed for dress purposes. It was designed for sport. Back in the 1930s, British Army officers in India needed a robust timepiece to accompany them whilst playing Polo. Before the Reverso concept was born, watches were at risk of becoming damaged during the popular sport. Their crystal glasses, if caught in the firing line of a swooping mallet, would shatter, causing crucial damage to the surface of the dial. César de Trey – a dedicated Polo player and watch collector at the time was challenged by his teammates to devise a watch design that would resist impact and damage during the game. He collaborated with Jacques-David LeCoultre and designer René-Alfred Chauvot to come up with the Reverso watch that surpassed expectations and lived up to its reputation as an elegant yet robust and innovative design for use during sport. The wearer could reverse the watch by flipping the case over to reveal a solid caseback, protecting the fragile crystal of the watch’s glass front. Cleverly, the Reverso watch could be worn as a dress watch also, thanks to its classic design.

The watch shares many similar characteristics with the Reverso Classic Small but features a traditional black alligator leather strap with a stainless steel pin buckle as opposed to a light blue one. The model’s 30-meter water-resistant case holds the Calibre 965 at its centre – an engine that provides a 38-hour power reserve and comprises a total of 30 jewels.

One model from the Reverso watch collection that demonstrates Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ability to move with the times, is the Reverso ref Q3828420. It measures 45.6mm and still evokes the same much-loved Art Deco-inspired style of the original Reverso watches. The centre of the dial is presented in a diamond-effect finish, with crisp black numerals displayed around the hour track and a set of blued steel hands.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Large is perfect for those who consider the traditional size of the Reverso too small. The watchmaker has added this larger sized wristwatch into the collection for those with broader wrists.

Perfect for the female wrist, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Small ref Q2608440 can add a touch of opulence and elegance to any formal or smart attire, thanks to its distinct rectangular-shaped case and gadroons that have become an instantly recognisable characteristic of the range. This small-sized Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch remains true to the original discreet and unimposing size of its historical predecessors

An opaline dial is adorned with a vertical satin-finished effect and the blued steel hands have once again been crafted into their familiar sword shape. Visible black numerals in a simple font enable the time to be read quickly and efficiently whilst on the go, and the inner minute track remains resolutely elegant

This execution from Jaeger-LeCoultre is powered by a manual-winding movement. The JLC 846/1 Calibre comprises a total of 18 jewels and beats at a rhythm of 21,600 vibrations per hour, providing a 38-hour power reserve once fully wound.

For those who prefer the ease of a quartz-powered movement, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Quartz ref Q3288420 deserves a place on this list of some of the best Reverso watches, simply for its enduring and glamourous styling. A scintillating row of diamonds is set into the top and bottom of the model’s stainless steel bezel, forming the iconic rectangular-shaped case.

The 30-meter water-resistant case surrounds a silver dial in sunburst effect, equipped with a set of blued steel hands, a crisp black Arabic numeral hour track and the famous Jaeger-LeCoultre lettering adorned to the surface of the dial’s northern hemisphere. The quartz-powered ladies Reverso watch is powered by a Swiss-made quartz movement for uncompromised accuracy and measures dimensions of 20mm X 40.1mm with lugs included. The watch completes its elegant look on a deep blue alligator leather strap and a matching stainless steel buckle fastening.

This watch clearly empahsizes the look and a more suble wrists. Those looking to buy this watch they prefer the diamond look and have smaller wrists.

Imbued with an Art Deco style, this Reverso Classic Medium adds a small second sub-dial to its display for a more technical-looking design. Black Arabic numerals around the hour track surround a textured centre executed in a diamond pattern. The model also boasts a unique characteristic in the fact that it has been finished on a specially made leather strap from the Fagliano Collection. Designed by Argentinian bootmakers, its hand-sewn leather surface is embellished with tone-on-tone stitching for a refreshing finish against the wrist.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Medium Small Seconds ref Q2438520 is powered by the Calibre JLC 822/2, which delivers an impressive 45-hour power reserve once fully wound. The small second sub-dial represented at 6 o’clock in a rectangular shape, echoes the profile of the steel watch’s case, whilst the blued steel hands and a meticulous beaded edging around the periphery of the dial donate further depth and dimension to the design.

As its name suggests, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Small Duetto ref Q2668432 offers a double design thanks to its reversible case featuring two dials, and therefore, two watches in one. The model is one of the brand’s most revolutionary designs to date and features a stainless steel case measuring a 34.2mm diameter. Inside the watch’s 30-meter water-resistant case is the Calibre JLC 844 – a manual-winding movement that oscillates at 21,600 vibrations per hour, producing a power reserve of 38 hours once fully wound. The Reverso Classic Small Duetto watch is a design tailored to the wrists of those with a preference for innovative, quirky designs.

The front dial of the watch is represented by a silvered grey, vertical satin-brushed and guilloche effect surface with black transferred Arabic numerals and a set of blued steel hands. The reverse side of the case reveals a black lacquered dial with frosted stick markers protruding from a circular ring, creating a sun-inspired design. The 12 and 6 o’clock locations are represented by Arabic numerals and both dials have been protected by a scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front.

This innovative Reverso watch enables the wearer to transform the look of their watch whenever desired, securing it to the wrist with a classic deep blue alligator leather strap.

The JLC Reverso Tribute Small Seconds presents the time on a navy blue dial as opposed to its traditional silvered grey dial. Its design is also inspired by the original Reverso watch from 1931 making it one of the few models that closely resemble a vintage timepiece from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s historical catalogue. Also differing from other models in the collection is the watch’s minute track, which features around the edge of the dial as opposed to the inner section of the dial.

Thicker stick hour markers dominate the deep blue dial of this design and have been accompanied by chunky central hands and a small second sub-dial in a circular shape at 6 o’clock. The Reverso ref Q3978480 is completed on a dark blue alligator leather strap from the Fagliano Collection, securing with a traditional stainless steel buckle to complete its elegant and timeless look.

Lastly, completing our guide to some of the best Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watches is this a broad 49.5mm model. Representing the positions of the moon exactly how they are displayed in the night sky each evening, this Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon watch is a faithfully reimagined Reverso watch with an added technical complication at the south of the dial.

The moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock is decorated in golden and deep blue tones and combined with a date ring, along with blued steel stick markers and hands against a silver dial.

The ref 3958420 is inspired by the original 1931 design and shares many characteristics with the Small Seconds model. Powered by the Calibre JLC 853A, it produces a 42-hour power reserve.

The watch will appeal to enthusiasts of moon phase watches, as well as the beloved and unmistakable style of the iconic Reverso watch