Le Coultre Reverso, Art Deco, Stainless Steel, circa 1934

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Le Coultre Reverso, Art Deco, Stainless Steel, circa 1934

About the Item

A fine and rare Art Deco Le Coultre Reverso wristwatch made in c1934. The Reverso wristwatch was invented after a chance remark by Polo players in India during the colonial period, bemoaning that the glass on their watches was being smashed during games. An idea was germinated and a reversible case was born that could be swivelled 180 degrees, so its glass and dial could be protected. The Polo players could have a “watch for town” and a “watch for play”. With its quintessential Art Deco styling and amusing novelty value, the Reverso proved a hit with wealthy and interesting people across the world. The first Reverso was introduced in 1931 with a subsidiary seconds dial. This watch is the second model and was introduced in 1934 with the horological advancement of a sweep centre seconds. It is also the year in which the separate companies of Jaeger and Le Coultre merged. Art Deco The Art Deco period was one of the first truly worldwide movements of fashion in the arts, which reached its peak during the 1920’s and 1930’s. It had its roots in Paris just before the First World War. It took its name from Arts Décoratifs, an international Exhibition of Modern Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925. Art Deco was a stylistic about turn to the Art Nouveau movement which preceded it. Gone were the soft, curved shapes and lines and in came straight lines and the bold geometric forms influenced by cubism and the desire to be modern. Parisian designers and jewellers such as Louis Cartier and René Lalique played an important role in popularising the Art Deco mode in their jewellery and objects. Infusing their designs with bold bright colours, setting emeralds, rubies and sapphires in simple lines and elegant settings. Watch design was, as everything else, also influenced by the new modern ideal of straight lines, so watch cases began to become rectangular and square shape. Stainless steel “Staybrite” outer and inner watch case. Cal. 411, 15 jewel octagonal-shaped nickel-finished lever Le Coultre Co movement. Silvered dial with raised gold Art Deco Arabic numerals, indented, with black chapter. Sweep centre seconds. Blued Steel hands Case, movement and dial signed Case Measurements: Length (lug to lug): 39 mm Width : 23 mm Depth: 9mm All watches are given a full thorough service. They are stripped down to their individual parts, thoroughly checked for any obvious wear and tear, cleaned, re-oiled, reassembled and regulated. The final result is that the case, dial and movement are in pristine condition.

Creator:
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Case Material:
Steel,Stainless Steel
Case Dimensions:
Width: 0.91 in (23 mm)Depth: 0.36 in (9 mm)Length: 1.54 in (39 mm)
Style:
Art Deco
Place of Origin:
Switzerland
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1934
Condition:
Pristine, fully serviced, 2 year guarantee and full after sales maintenance service.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 29081stDibs: LU92211576842

Shop All Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The exquisite art of watchmaking is on display in the distinctive designs of Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Swiss manufacturer is celebrated for its striking Art Deco–era antique clocks, while its range of sumptuous luxury watches spans the gamut of modern design, each one a time capsule of its period.

Jaeger-LeCoultre was established in 1833 by watchmaker Antoine LeCoultre in the Vallée de Joux of the Swiss mountains. LeCoultre was also an inventor who, in 1844, created the millionomètre. As the first instrument to measure thousandths of a millimeter with total accuracy, it refined the meticulous watchmaking process. By 1866, LeCoultre's son, Elie LeCoultre, took over the business. He revolutionized watchmaking by bringing all 180 skills involved in the trade into one workshop: LeCoultre & Cie Manufacture.

By 1903, the company had passed to Antoine LeCoultre's grandson, Jacques-David LeCoultre. He created a signature line of ultra-thin watches in partnership with Edmond Jaeger, a French watchmaker who specialized in flat watch cases. In 1907, Louis Cartier signed a contract with Jaeger so that Cartier would have movements for its popular timepieces produced exclusively at LeCoultre in Switzerland. This era saw the debut of Cartier’s Santos as well as its Tank watch.

Watchmakers at Jaeger-LeCoultre began to experiment with the Art Deco style that had encompassed the 1920s and the 1930s. At the time, there were many influences that led to the creation of Art Deco jewelry, while the cases of Art Deco clocks featured architectural details and saw an integration of materials such as brass, glass and marble. Iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre designs from this era include the 1928 Atmos clock and the Reverso watch. Stylish and practical, the coveted Reverso watch features a case that you can flip to protect the watch face.

During the 1950s and '60s, Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmakers continued the manufacturer’s tradition of prioritizing practical reliability. In 1958, the company introduced the robust and durable Geophysic watch collection. The Memovox Polaris, an alarm-equipped dive watch one could wear underwater, followed in 1968.

The best-known timepiece in the company's modern collection is the Master Control watch, unveiled in 1992. It symbolizes a return to the thin style and performance-first ethic of classic Jaeger-LeCoultre. In 2018, the watchmaker also launched the Polaris collection. Inspired by the original Memovox, the series features a sporty, elegant and contemporary look.

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