Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Invites Its Owner To Carry Meaningful Works Of Art

The versatility of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso invites its owner to carry meaningful works of art on their wrists

- Jonathan Ho

The best inventions are often the result of a confluence of ingenuity and fate. In 1931, the design of the Reverso yielded an unexpected benefit: while its blank metal flip side had begun as a purely functional solution to avoid damage to the dial, it was an ideal surface for personalisation with monograms, emblems or messages using lacquer, engraving or enamel.

Among the examples from that era are Reversos decorated with the emblem of the British Racing Drivers Club, a piece with the Eton College coat of arms, and a 1935 edition commemorating the record-setting flight from Mexico City to New York by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Even royalty are not immune to the intimate appeal of a personalised accessory. The Maharajah of Karputala, India, commissioned 50 Reverso watches, one with a miniature portrait of his wife reproduced on the caseback in enamel.

Designing Treasures