Reverso

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso begins with a neat piece of engineering: a case that slides sideways in its cradle and turns over, originally devised in 1931 to protect the dial during polo. Its rectangular outline, horizontal gadroons, and Art Deco proportions connect a family that now spans compact dress watches, larger complicated models, and versions with a second dial on the reverse.

The first distinction is what happens when you turn it over. Single-faced models offer a solid back, often used for engraving; Reverso Duoface versions use the reverse dial to display a second time zone, with both faces driven by one movement. Across the family, quartz, manually wound, and automatic movements all appear, so the familiar silhouette doesn't settle what's inside.

Names help place the generations. Reverso Grande Taille identifies the larger format introduced in the early 1990s, while Reverso Tribute models draw more directly on early dial designs, notably their baton markers and dauphine hands. Reverso Classic generally takes the Arabic-numeral route. The broader, squarer Reverso Squadra Hometime and sport-oriented Reverso Gran Sport belong to a different branch from the slender dress models; case proportions matter as much as the family name.