Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Lady Steel and Diamonds Ref. 265.8.08, 2000s

Identity

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Lady Ref. 265.8.08, 2000s. Quartz movement. Reversible pivoting steel case, 21 × 33 mm, upper and lower lugs of the case set with diamonds, signed Jaeger-LeCoultre crown. Silver sunburst guilloché dial, black painted stylised Arabic numerals, black dauphine hands, Jaeger-LeCoultre signature at 12 o'clock. Sapphire crystal. Original steel rice-grain bracelet and signed Jaeger-LeCoultre deployment buckle.

Horological context

The Reverso was born in 1931 of a twofold demand: aesthetic and sporting. British officers stationed in India, polo players among them, wanted a watch whose crystal — mineral at the time — could be protected against the shocks and breakages occurring during collisions between riders in the course of matches. César de Trey, a Swiss watch merchant, was challenged to find a solution. The LeCoultre manufacture then commissioned the Parisian designer René-Alfred Chauvot to draw a rectangular case pivoting on two side rails, in the Art Deco style then at its peak. The patent was filed the same year. The LeCoultre manufacture — future Jaeger-LeCoultre — launched its production. The Art Deco signature has remained the model's indelible mark, instantly recognisable nearly a century later. After a first period of active production lasting until the 1940s, the model lay somewhat dormant before being progressively reintroduced from the 1970s onwards, notably with the introduction of quartz movements. The Grande Reverso of 1991 marked the return to series mechanical production. The Reverso Duoface, launched in 1994, used the pivoting reverse for the first time to display a second time zone on the back, turning the case's historical constraint into a horological complication. The line has since been declined in several configurations: Classique, Lady, Monoface, Duoface, Duetto, Grande Taille.

Character

The Monoface configuration — the plain reverse, intact, offers a surface dedicated to personal engraving. Upper and lower lugs of the case set with diamonds framing the exposed face, sunburst guilloché dial with stylised Arabic numerals. Reference now discontinued from the Jaeger-LeCoultre catalogue.

Watch serviced. Very good condition. Delivered with a Contre-Temps box and the Contre-Temps 24-month warranty certificate.