For almost a century, Reverso has been Jaeger-LeCoultre's swivelling icon.
The history and milestones are illustrated by The Reverso Stories Travelling Collection, which has made a one-week stop in Bangkok at Siam Paragon's Crystal Court.
The showcase, which ends today, traces nine decades of the Reverso under four themes. The narrative begins with "The Story Of An Icon" that recalls its conception in 1930.
While visiting India, businessman César de Trey came upon a shattering problem. British army officers wanted to play polo without wrecking their watches, so he had to find a way to protect the glass and dial during the dynamic matches.
De Trey approached Jacques-David LeCoultre to produce his solution -- a flippable case -- and they engaged René-Alfred Chauvot for the design.
On March 4, 1931, a patent application was filed in Paris for "a watch capable of sliding in its support and being completely turned over".
LeCoultre commissioned A.E. Wenger to make the case and Tavannes to supply the movement blanks for manufacturing the inventive wristwatch, whose name Reverso was registered in November.
The original square design was subtly elongated and three signature gadroons were added above and below the dial to give the Reverso a rectangular silhouette.
The first-generation model from 1931 and the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with a black dial, launched last year, are on display for comparison at the immersive event.
Jaeger-LeCoultre also revisits how the Golden Ratio is a common denominator for beauty and harmony in nature, art, science and design. This principle dictated the original proportions of the Reverso while the design aligned with the 1930s Art Deco movement, which emphasised geometric patterns, rectilinear shapes and clean lines.
Hands-on experience in the perlage finishing technique.
The Art Deco roots and aesthetic are examined in the second chapter titled "The Story Of Style And Design".
Even though it was created to withstand the rigours of equestrian sport, the Reverso also appealed to ladies because of the sleek and elegant look.
Resized feminine models could even be transformed into pendants or handbag clips or worn with a cordonnet bracelet.
Exhibits include a mini version for ladies from 1933 and a new Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with a lacquered face in deep burgundy.
The swivelling back can even be fashioned as another dial in a different style or for a second time-zone. Moreover, lacquer, enamel or engraving can be used for personalisation with monograms, emblems and messages on the surface of the blank metal flip side.
Respectively, the third section of the event presents "The Story Of Craftsmanship" and how the Reverso became a canvas for artistic expressions.
The Reverso Zodiac Sign, for example, boasts a miniature painting in enamel of the Libra sign interpreted in an Art Nouveau style while the Reverso One Precious Colours showcases the dexterity of enamellers and gemsetters at the Atelier des Métiers Rares.
In addition, various techniques are used to decorate movement parts. The event provides hands-on experience in embellishing a main plate with juxtaposing small circles to attain the traditional perlage finishing, also called circular graining.
The original Reverso from 1931.
The meticulous watchmaking takes place at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture in the village of Le Sentier in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux.
The company has been based there since it was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833. A merger between Jaeger S.A. and LeCoultre & Cie in 1937 ushered a new era of its haute horlogerie in the 20th century.
La Grande Maison has developed more than 1,400 different calibres. Historically, it also made movements for other prestigious brands, consequently earning the title The Watchmaker of Watchmakers.
After the debut of its first rectangular calibre in 1933, more than 50 movements have been devised for the Reverso family. These include Calibres 829 and 179 for the Reverso Chronograph Rétrograde and Gyrotourbillon 4 featured in "The Story Of Innovation".
As complications are normally incorporated into round calibres, fitting them in rectangular movements requires an entirely different architecture.
The 1990s saw how the Reverso became a platform for Jaeger-LeCoultre's ingenious microengineering. The mastery was exalted by combining 11 complications in the world's first four-sided watch -- Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque) -- unveiled in 2021.
Reverso women's watch from 1933.
The time, Grande Date and instantaneous perpetual calendar are shown on the first face with a flying tourbillon at 7 o'clock.
While housing the minute repeater, its back reveals the inner workings along with a secondary time display in a jumping-hours and peripheral-minutes format. The time is indicated via the chiming mechanism, which justifies Jaeger-LeCoultre's other designation as The Sound Maker.
The third side innovatively presents a triple display of the synodic, anomalistic and draconic lunar cycles. A first in watchmaking, the micromechanical combination allows determining eclipses and rare phenomenons such as supermoons.
Furthermore, a representation of the moon phases in the Southern Hemisphere appears against an engraved and lacquered sky chart on the fourth face of the complicated masterpiece.
The Reverso Quadriptyque with 12 patents along with a variety of flippable wristwatches are on display in the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique near the Crystal Court.
The experience rounds up with a complimentatry refreshment offered by 1931 Café, named after the birth year of the legendary timepiece with a reversible case.
The Reverso Stories Travelling Collection is open to the public from 11am until 7pm. Visitors can make an appointment at online-booking.jaeger-lecoultre.com/atelier/101 or register upon arrival.
Reverso Quadriptyque.
Reverso Zodiac Sign.
Reverso One Precious Colours.
Gyrotourbillon 4.
Reverso Tribute Small Seconds.
