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. 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, thanks 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 to celebrate the Reverso’s 80th anniversary, the ref. 277.8.62 that we have here stands as a tribute to the 1931 original with the same understated black dial and simple “Reverso” branding, free from any mention of Jaeger Le Coultre, the iconic "watchmaker's watchmaker."

Watch is in excellent condition. Case exhibits surface wear, with light marks visible in some areas of the polished surface, particularly around the bezel of the dial side and lugs. Engravings on back are crisp and fully legible. The watch comes on a generic strap and generic buckle.

A truly legendary piece of watchmaking design, the Reverso has remained virtually unchanged over the decades, with its influence still as tangible as ever - the two very tenents that lynchpin a timepiece's status as an icon.