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 as a boutique-only edition that was limited in production, the watch that we have here is the Grande Reverso 1931 Seconde Centrale ref. 278.3.66 made of 18kt white gold and featuring a central seconds hand as its name suggests. While the central seconds hand wasn’t added to the Reverso until around 1935, this model still celebrates its addition to the Reverso collection with a black dial that features a chapter ring that resides at its center with an encircling minute track that pairs with its central seconds hand to allow for precise timekeeping. Additionally, it also features dauphine hands and long exploding hour markers that feature a gentle yellow patina to hint at the design's age and the Reverso’s status as an iconic watch that was perhaps one of the earliest sports watches to make their way to market.

Watch is in near-mint condition with only minor signs of wear.

Combining modern watchmaking guile and luxury with vintage-inspired appeal and design language, the ref. 278.3.66 is a beautiful heritage-inspired variant that the Reverso deserves to have within its ranks.