12 Best JLC Reverso Watches (Handpicked Just For You!)

We all know the primary purpose of a watch is to tell time, which is essential for managing daily tasks and schedules. But who does not love to look like a person with high status? or add to a professional image and convey a sense of responsibility to themselves?

We now live in a world filled with flashy and attention-grabbing timepieces. But there’s something uniquely comforting about a calm and simple watch design. The classic Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are for those who appreciate understated elegance. The watch proved to be not only a reflection of classic aesthetics; it’s rather a chameleon, adapting to different styles and blending into many settings.

In this article, we will talk about a particular Jaeger-LeCoultre model called Reverso. We will include a list of the best types of Reverso watches attached with unique features. But before we do that, let’s take a small shot at the history of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso itself.

About JLC Reverso Watches

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watches are a line of luxury timepieces known for their unique, square-shaped design. The Reverso was first introduced in 1931 and has since become an iconic watch, with its rectangular case that can be flipped over to protect the dial. 

What makes the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso so special is its versatility. The watch is available in a wide range of different case sizes, materials, and dial configurations. Besides that, by nature, it is a watch created for a mix of specific sports activities and formal settings. You can find specifics on that in the next section of the article.

The Reverso is also meant to be a work of art, besides its practicality-inspired birth. Various details, like the guilloche engraving on the dial, add vastly to its high-end appearance. In recent years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has also introduced limited edition Reversos with enamel dials and diamond-set cases.

History of JLC Reverso Watches

Let’s travel back to 1930. There was a Swiss businessman named César de Trey, who happened to be in India watching an exciting polo match played by British Army officers. After the match, one officer approached de Trey, feeling upset because his watch got damaged during the game.

This encounter sparked an idea in de Trey’s mind – he wanted to create a watch that could avoid such accidents in the future. De Trey reached out to his friend Jacques-David LeCoultre and the famous watch company Jaeger SA for assistance.

They collaborated with a talented French designer named René-Alfred Chauvot to create a special case for the watch. Chauvot’s design allowed the timepiece to be flipped over, protecting its delicate parts. And so, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso was born. It initially solved a problem for polo players but quickly became an iconic timepiece.

The reversible case soon became a defining element of JLC’s identity. Over the years, the Reverso has undergone various changes. Today, both men and women can enjoy the watch, with a wide range of movements and dial designs to choose from.

Other Notable Jaeger-LeCoultre Watches

The world of Jaeger-LeCoultre goes way beyond the Reverso. Let’s look through some of their other extraordinary collections.

Master Ultra Thin: Engineered to slide under your cuff without any problem. It comes with a 39mm case, perfect for a dress watch. It features JLC’s ultra-thin modular, perpetual calendar, the caliber 868. This self-winding perpetual is only 4.72mm thick, making the full watch just 9.2mm thick​.

The collection uses three registers plus a moonphase at 12 o’clock to display everything from the day of the week to the date of the month. It also has an innovative aperture that turns red as evening falls. This feature indicates that the wearer should not adjust their watch to prevent damage to its gears​​.

Polaris: The Polaris collection is just as well built as other models, and you’ll look sporty wearing it. Its case has a dynamism to its lines, achieved via a combination of different finishes. The trio of finishes are as follows: the central section has a sunray pattern, the middle ring has a pronounced grain finish, and the inner rotating bezel has an iridescent matte finish​​.

The collection features the in-house JLC caliber 898/1, an automatic movement that beats at 4 Hz and has a 40-hour power reserve​​. The Polaris serves as the entry-level sports watch within the JLC lineup.

Atmos clock: This timepiece doesn’t need batteries or winding—it’s powered by the very air we breathe. The clock manages to run independently of any human intervention as a result of a gaseous mixture held within a capsule that expands when the temperature rises and contracts when it falls​. This mechanism makes the Atmos clock known as a mystical marvel.

Duoplan: The Duoplan features the Caliber 101, which has been known since 1929 as the world’s smallest mechanical movement​​. The movement itself is light, approximately 1 gram, and there is a skeletonized version of it that weighs only 0.4 grams​.

The Duoplan movement is a whole family of movements, including the Caliber 104 with a special beating rate of 20222 vph, the Caliber 403 with the crown positioned in the top right corner, and the Caliber 409, which is the largest in the family and has the crown on the back​.

Rendez-Vous: The Rendez-Vous collection is a line of women’s watches. The collection includes both time-only and complicated models, such as the Rendez-Vous Moon and the Rendez-Vous Tourbillon.

The Best JLC Reverso Watches

Reverso Classic Monoface (ref. Q2548440)

This is a medium-sized Reverso that fits most when you’re all suited and buttoned up, ready to close that deal. The watch comes with very simple but elegant features. Its case is well-polished stainless steel, and of course, it swivels. The watch rotates by pushing slightly at the opposite side of the crown, and it lines up with the frame when the case is swiveled around. 

The other side of the dial gives the Reverso a bracelet look with its shiny stainless steel cover; it helps prevent any sort of scratch on the watch during any physical activity. The dial is silver gray with vertical satin brushed finish and a beautiful albeit simple geo shape. The dial has straight lines coming off its center with its well-crafted logo at 12 o’clock to complete this exquisite dial. 

The hands of the watch change from a muted dark to sapphire blue, depending on how the light hits them. Nothing better describes the elegance of this timepiece until you set your eyes on it. The Classic Monoface has an 822 caliber with a 45-hour reserve and manual winding. The absence of the second hand makes the watch look more mature, with fewer clusters on the dial.

This Reverso looks like the watch for that crucial deal you need to make. Reverso’s are known for their well-detailed strap, which are all handmade. The strap comes with an easy clip-release system which makes replacement easy when the need arises. The model starts at around $8,100.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds (ref. Q3842520)

This watch model came alive in 1994, and from the name duo face, you can easily tell it has two faces. One face of this watch has a classic look with a white dial, and the other looks more sporty with a dark dial. This beauty has two entirely different designs on both dials and can be worn to fit various outfits. 

The front dial looks like a watch worn by royalty. It has a beautiful diamond pattern in the middle with the JLC logo at the top and a small second hand at the bottom part of the dial with the same diamond pattern in the middle. The printed Art Deco numerals are on a brushed vertical finish, adding to the dial’s classical look. 

The second dial of this watch is quite the opposite of the first, as it carries a more rugged look. It has luminous indexes and luminous hands. The dial also has a beautiful day/night indicator at 6 o’clock with 2 colors to set the day and night apart, and at the bottom part, it says travel time. 

One thing I find fascinating about this watch is how the crown is used to change the minute hand, and a lever at the top of the case is used to change the hour time.

The bottom part of this watch has a JLC inscription on it; it’s water resistance of up to 30 meters and a 100-hour inscription too, which indicates the watch’s safety in almost all aspects. The current price of this watch is $25,000, but when you consider that it’s actually a double deal, the price tag looks a lot more friendly.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Monoface (ref. Q328853J)

The Reverso One Monoface watch is easily one of the most beautiful Reverso watches, from its beautiful, elegant lines, which portray so much femininity, to the guilloché embellished in the dial, which fits perfectly with its well-polished casing. Everything about this Reverso emphasizes class. This watch also has a diamond detail laced at the top and bottom parts of the casing. 

The model was specifically made for the ladies, and I must say, the designers of this watch went all in. The Reverso One Monoface has a very impressionable dial with its beautifully shaped hands. It’s absolute eye candy. The watch comes in different dial colors and an interchangeable strap which is easily customizable to suit feminine fashion needs. It currently goes for $7,650, which is a bargain for such a beautiful piece.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar (ref. Q3918420)

This masterpiece was launched to mark the 85th anniversary of the JLC in 2016. Its main distinctive feature is the calendar which has a date indicator at the bottom of the dial and also a calendar aperture for the day and month at the top of the dial.

It comes in about the same size as the previous Reverso’s, but this model is coated with fine rose gold steel. This is a full-sized Reverso with 11 meters in thickness with a broad spacing of 22 millimeters between the lugs.

The strap gives the look of watches made in the 90s with its well-polished dark brown alligator leather. The watch also has a double folding clasp which is rose gold, and an easy-to-remove strap that can easily be changed if the need arises. Another feature that struck me is its second dial which comes with an independent time zone with a day/night indicator at the bottom of the dial.

JLC launched the watch in 2016 with a sunburst case back and an off-centered origin point, and since then, most of their watches have come with this same case back style. The watch is a 30-meter water-resistant watch with a manual wind and a 45-hour power reserve. This model of the JLC Reverso is currently worth $16,700.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra World Chronograph (ref. Q702T470)

This model of the JLC is a mouthful. The Reverso Squadra World Chronograph is a very cool dress watch that was released in 2006. This watch was created by JLC in an attempt to go back to their roots of sports watches, and of the 3 different squadron watches released that year, this was the top watch. 

This model is very different from most Reversos you will find today, being automatic and featuring a water resistance of up to 50 meters, which is a lot more than other Reversos. The watch is thicker than other models but still maintains JLC’s wearability. The dial of the watch has very large Arabic numerals, which are very different from most Reversos, and it also comes with a day/night indicator at 6 o’clock. 

The second dial of this watch has one of the coolest features of all Reversos. It has 24 main different time zones, and you can read the time in all the time zones without changing them; that’s how amazing this model is. This dial has a night and day indicator to tell you which time zone is in the night and day. 

It is covered in a titanium case, and it can be easily distinguished from every other Reverso out there. The price of this watch varies from different sellers as it’s a limited edition and just 1500 pieces were produced. This watch is highly recommended for people who travel to different parts of the world constantly.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds (ref. Q397846J)

This model of the JLC would sit perfectly on a smaller wrist as all the components of this watch seem to be smaller than other models. The first distinct feature I noticed on this watch is its strap which is very different from that of earlier models. This strap was designed by Kossof Aliano, the same designer who created a limited edition of straps for JLC. 

The well-polished red strap matches the red dial of the watch and is a little bit softer and more flexible than previous models. And as the name implies, a small second hand is at the bottom part of the dial. Another distinct feature of this model is how rectangular it looks when viewed from the top, and when viewed from the sides, it appears to have a lot of curves. The current price of this watch is $10,600, and it definitely won’t be a bad addition to your collection.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duetto (ref. Q2668432)

One outstanding fact about the JLC is how much effort is put into designing their watches for women. The Reverso Classic Duetto is another beauty designed for women, and this model depicts so much style. 

This model comes with a 21-millimeter stainless steel case with a silver-gray dial. The blue color hands of the dial fit perfectly with the straps, which makes the watch look very simple and stylish. This watch currently sells for $11,100.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon (ref. Q392242J)

I have never seen a watch look so sophisticated and yet so stylish. JLC has perfected the art of bringing so many complications together and fixing them perfectly in one small space. The Duoface Tourbillon is one watch that looks quite calm on the front dial, but the second dial comes with a lot of ruggedness. 

This gold-cased watch has a different time zone on the second dial, a second hand, and also a day/night indicator. The mechanics and fittings of the engine can be seen through the dial, which gives it a very manly look. This timepiece is one of JLCs most recent designs and is one of the most spectacular ones, in my opinion.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto Moon (ref. Q3358120)

The Reverso One Duetto Moon. The beauty of the watch doesn’t stop at its name, for sure. This is a feminine masterpiece with a touch of celestial charm. 

Its stainless steel case embraces the usual and elegant silvered guilloché dial on one side, while the reverse side reveals a captivating blue dial with a moon phase indicator. At the heart of this watch ticks the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 842, a reliable quartz movement that ensures accurate timekeeping.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph (ref. Q389848J)

A chronograph is very difficult to fit into a rectangular-shaped watch, but the Reverso Tribute Chronograph makes it all look effortless. The leather strap keeps the luxury feeling of the watch. At the heart of this timepiece beats the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 860, a manually-wound movement.

The front dial of this watch has a light blue hour and minute hand with a silver-gray, blue, or black colored dial, depending on the casing you choose between the silver and gold model. The second dial of the Tribute Chronograph has a skeleton construction and case-colored minute and hour hands with the chronograph function.

It is completely different from the Squadra World Chronograph. It has a blue seconds hand counting the seconds in the chronograph and a 30-minute counter at 6 o’clock that returns to 0 every 30 minutes. This timepiece was launched this year and is currently worth $25,000.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Septantieme Limited Edition (ref. Q3006420)

We now come across a little bit of a different model without a double dial this time, but its unique features make up for that. The watch dial has a silver-tone background, which serves as a backdrop for the sleek baton hour markers and dauphine hands and is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. 

Powering the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Septantieme Limited Edition is a precise in-house mechanical movement, the caliber JLC 879. Flipping the case reveals a solid case back that can be personalized with engravings, initials, or a special message. The case dimensions are approximately 46.8mm in length, 27.4mm in width, and 9.1mm in thickness, which provides a comfortable fit.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Caliber 185 (ref. Q7103420)

This is the world’s first-ever four-faced watch, and it’s a very complicated Reverso model. The front of the timepiece shows a calendar that displays the day, month, and leap-year indicator at the top right corner of the dial. This timepiece looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

The second face of the watch is where things get a little bit more complicated. This dial has a jumping digital hour, minute, and minute repeater. The third face of this masterpiece has a 3 display of lunar information.

The top has a representation of the phases of the moon in the northern hemisphere, the bottom right has a representation of the earth in the anomalistic cycle, and the bottom left part of this dial shows the draconic lunar cycle. The fourth face of this timepiece, which is also the back of the watch, has the face of the moon in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Conclusion

After over 90 years of excellence, the Reverso has transitioned from a sports watch to a revered dress watch. Its iconic case design grants its place as one of the most recognizable timepieces in the industry. The designers have outdone themselves with each new design they have created. The JLC Reverso watch has stood the test of time.

The timepiece is recommended to those who are looking for an excellent Swiss dress watch that you can actually wear on multiple types of occasions or intense polo enthusiasts who can’t leave their wrist companion for the period of a quick match.