Designed by René-Alfred Chauvot, the Reverso was conceived with the express purpose of being able to withstand the harsh beating a watch would endure during a game of polo by virtue of its eponymous reversible function. This was put to JLC by entrepreneur César de Trey as a challenge for the brand in 1930. Born the year following in 1931, the Reverso was a sports watch, due to its particular use case. Thanks to its now-classical aesthetic and graceful design, the Reverso has evolved into a modern dress watch. However, in the 1930s, the Reverso needed to be more durable than other available watches; hence its ingenious reversible case was born. This protected the dial from a direct hit and gave the Reverso its name. Over 90 years later and the Reverso’s design lives on as one of the most recognizable in watchmaking. Launched around 2010, the Reverso Grande ref. 270.8.04 that we have here was available as one of the larger Reverso variants. Indeed, it features a 30mm-wide and 42mm tall stainless steel case that designates this as a “Grande” Reverso, which means “Large”. In keeping with the Reverso’s original versions, the ref. 270.8.04 is powered by a manual-wind movement, the cal. 976, which is housed behind a sapphire crystal caseback that can be shown off whenever the wearer chooses, thanks to the Reverso's eponymous reversible feature. Additionally, it also features a monochromatic silver dial with a guilloche center and a sunken running seconds subdial with a satin-finished dial periphery that houses its Arabic numerals.

Placed at the forefront of the horology industry since its launch, the Reverso is an icon that requires no introduction. With its unique design, rich history, and craftsmanship, watch collectors have been eager to add it to their collection in some form or another for almost an entire century for very good reason.