And so one day you find yourself writing about a real Reverso, a truly unique timepiece, one personalized by an Italian polo player. This person read our article and, being the true aficionado that he is, asked that we tell the story of his Reverso in our pages. And we agreed. For his is a Reverso faithful to tradition:

Purchased more than ten years ago, rigorously hand-wound, personalized. A Reverso preserved with care; with a rectangular case, sapphire crystal, classic dial with Arabic numerals, blued hands as are those in the small seconds dial at 6 o’clock. An Art-Deco icon:

Of superb manufacture; the frame housing the watch case is in two parts, joined by four tiny screws that also create the guide allowing the case to slide and that can be blocked on both sides.

Once closed, and whichever side is visible, it allows for no movement…and yet this Reverso has changed face numerous times in the past ten years.

Each time it is transformed from watch to bracelet, the passage is accompanied by a pleasing symphony of micro-mechanics:

The winding crown is perfectly sized and slightly recessed: and allows for no movement here either. The 822 manual caliber can be fully wound using just your index finger in perfect safety because a stop device prevents you from causing any damage. Once wound the balance wheel beats at 21,600 v/h for 45 hours:

And how could we fail to mention the closing clasp; almost totally burnished to a mirror finish except for a section of the interior that is engraved with the name Jaeger-LeCoutre:

But that’s not all. For the guy who owns this Reverso is among the lucky few in the world to own not only an accessory for his Reverso, but the ultimate accessory, one you would never imagine; a bracelet made by Cruciani exclusively for Jaeger-LeCoutre:

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)

Gaetano C. @Horbiter®