Birth of the Reverso watch: icon of design and innovation

In 1930, businessman Cesar de Trey took on the challenge of finding a way to protect the glass of polo players' watches during matches.

He imagined a case that could be reversed and asked his friend Jacques-David LeCoultre to produce the watch. The two men hired René-Alfred Chauvot to design it.

On March 4, 1931, the Paris Patent Office received an application for registration of a " watch capable of sliding in its support and turning completely around ."

In July 1931, César de Trey bought the design rights from René-Alfred Chauvot and, in November 1931, registered the name Reverso—derived from the Latin for “ I turn around .” The Reverso was born.

The rotating case proved to be an ideal medium for a series of collaborations with artists, designers and artisans to celebrate this revolutionary icon.