Extremely rare and perfectly preserved Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso, with a reversible steel case, embossed black dial, and hand-wound Lisica-Tavannes 064 caliber, from the early 1930s.
SPECIFICHE
Steel case measuring 23mm x 37mm
Black dial with embossed indexes
Cristallo originale
Corona originale
Hand-wound Lisica-Tavannes 064 movement inside
ANALISI
The genesis of the Reverso represents a fundamental chapter in the history of 20th-century mechanical watchmaking, an artifact whose aesthetic and functional longevity has transcended fluctuations in taste for over ninety years. The official birth certificate of this technical architecture lies in the patent filed in Paris on March 4, 1931, by French engineer and designer René-Alfred Chauvot, registered under number 712868. The device described, based on a mechanism for sliding and tilting the case inside a slide, solved a contemporary problem with surprising elegance: protecting the crystal and dial from the traumatic stress typical of polo, an elite sport popular among British officers stationed in India.
Celebrating this design intuition, a few months later, in July 1931, Swiss entrepreneur César de Trey – a key figure in the watchmaking industry of the time and an agent for Jaeger SA – acquired the rights to exploit the patent from Chauvot. This commercial operation was accompanied by a choice that would mark the brand’s history: the name “Reverso,” which was registered in December of the same year.
However, the production of the Reverso required a rectangular movement thin enough to allow the reversible section of the case to remain thin and thus allow for rotation. To ensure the entire engineering and commercial operation was a success, De Trey had to rely on a movement supplier outside of Jaeger, which had not yet developed a movement suitable for this purpose as of 1931 (the JLC 410 movement would not be implemented until 1933). He turned to Lisica SA.
Lisica SA was a Le Locle-based manufacturer founded on December 30, 1925, and its board of directors was headed by Elvire Jeanneret. The factory was located at 46 Rue de Envers. The Tavannes Watch Co. headquarters was also located at the same number, and this is no coincidence: the first references in the sources, in fact, record that Lisica SA was a subsidiary (the sources use the term “branch”) of Tavannes. Lisica SA also won a series prize from the Neuchatel Chronometric Observatory in 1932, which speaks of a high level of manufacturing quality in the field of movement production. In its product range, Lisica had a series of refined rectangular movements measuring 6 3/4″ x 11″ named 063 and 064, which were the subject of interest to De Trey for “his” Reverso. The caliber was only 3.7mm thin, and the case of the “first series” of the Reverso was built based on the measurements and thickness of the Lisica-Tavannes movement. This combination of elements gave birth to one of the most iconic and reproduced watches of all time.
This example from the first series, dating back to the early 1930s, retains all the charm of this exciting story, which spans France, Switzerland, India, and, later, the USA (a market dear to businessman De Trey, who had conquered it a few years earlier with the Movado “Ermeto”).
The dial has the original configuration with the railway minute track alternating with arrowhead indexes. The composition rises from the black surface with the embossed technique, making this stunning dial three-dimensional and vibrant from every angle. The “Reverso” signature stands out at 12 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are typically sword-shaped.
The elegant steel case embodies and conveys the entire historical trajectory of the Reverso name. Its mechanism is based on a basic construction principle: the functional block that houses the dial and caliber slides within two contoured lateral guides, culminating in a transverse pivot at the end of the frame. This pin acts as a hinge for reversing the case, while a double hemisphere locking device ensures stability in the chosen position, preventing involuntary movements during use.
On the back of the case, adding charm and mystery to this incredible watch, is an engraved dedication dating back to 1933, signed by the unknown couple Tyke and Tate.
Powering this piece of watchmaking history is the Lisica-Tavannes caliber 064. It measures 15.3mm x 24.9mm and is 3.7mm high; it has 17 jewels, runs at 18,000 A/h, and has an original power reserve of 45 hours.
