The Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre's most distinctive watch, certainly has an impressive pedigree. 

Essentially one of the first sports watches, the Reverso combined utility with a sleek and elegant Art Deco exterior that has become an icon of horological design. Though the Reverso appears at first glance a dress watch, it owes its existence to the gentlemanly sport of polo. While touring India in the early 1930s, Swiss businessman César de Trey met a British polo player who'd just cracked the crystal of his watch on the field. De Trey returned to Switzerland with an idea already taken root in his head, which he then discussed with Jacques-David LeCoultre: What if a watch could be made with a case that could reverse?

The patent was placed in 1931, and the first Reverso that followed measured 38mm in length, 24 in width. Jaeger-LeCoultre also released the Reverso in gold, and decorated the case back with engravings or even miniatures. But with changing tastes in the 1970s — for round watches as well as quartz movements —Jaeger-LeCoultre ceased production of the Reverso. The model lay dormant for twenty years, until its triumphant re-issue in 1982. While those watches contained quartz movements, their success represented a future for the Reverso. 

This particular Reverso, a Gran Sport model, features 27mm x 43mm reversible steel case, a textured grey dial with luminous Arabic indices and a matching luminous sword handset, a signed screw-down crown, and an automatic-winding movement within. It’s fitted to a signed rubber strap with a signed steel deployant buckle — a unique look for a watch that’s typically found on leather or on a steel bracelet.

In terms of elegant design and horological prowess, this watch punches way above its weight class.