Jaeger-LeCoultre Corvo Reverso

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With a distinct grey dial adorned with Roman numerals, the Corvo Reverso is responsible for the birth of the modern Jaeger-LeCoultre icon.

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This is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Corvo Reverso. A manufacturer synonymous with its flagship model, the Reverso, JLC is a storied brand with a long and rich history in watchmaking. Colloquially known as “the watchmaker’s watchmaker” for its watchmaking prowess, the brand has almost two centuries of watchmaking history with its most important and recognizable creation being the first reversible wristwatch.

The story of the Reverso began in 1931, where Rene-Alfred Chauvot patented the creation of what would eventually become the brand’s most iconic and associated model. Dating back pre-JLC, the creation of the Reverso was originally meant for British officers based in India to wear during the sport of polo with the reversible case acting as protection for the front. Due to the advent of World War 2, the brand had stopped producing Reversos after the 1940s since dress watches were understandably out of favour during the period and the quartz crisis in 1970 did little to inspire confidence in the model. This all changed in 1972 when Giorgio Corvo, the Italian distributor of JLC, discovered 200 unused cases of Staybrite steel Reverso cases. An alloy used in early Reversos, Staybrite steel was the most popular case metal in the early 20th century before the application of 316L Stainless steel cases. After creating a prototype of the Corvo Reverso, he managed to convince the brand to produce a limited run of 200 Reversos from the new-old stock cases and managed to sell all 200 in a month. This pivotal act marked the rebirth of the Reverso, leading to the production of several important Reversos thereafter.

Produced in two variants of 100 watches each, the Corvo Reversos was made specifically for the Italian market with one edition featuring a grey dial with Roman-style numerals and the other featuring a white dial with stick indices. The Corvo Reverso also paid tribute to its predecessor with a triple-gadroon case, vintage case proportions and the use of Staybrite Steel cases as mentioned above. While the Corvo Reverso might seem like just another Reverso with a vintage-inspired dial, it represents one of the most significant periods in the brand’s history.

While most of its history is well documented, the Corvo Reverso remains largely unknown save for the diehard Reverso enthusiasts. It is no hyperbole to say that without Giorgio Corvo, the brand’s flagship reversible dress watch may have never been revived.