Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso

Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso, the larger canvas of an Art Deco legend

If you love the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso but want more presence on the wrist, the Grande Reverso delivers scale without losing the original’s clarity. Born in 1931 for polo, the Reverso flips to shield its crystal; the Grande iteration stretches the canvas, adding visual stride while remaining a dress watch that transitions easily from boardroom to aperitivo.

Origin and identity

The DNA is unchanged: rectangular profile, triple gadroons, and the satisfying click of the carriage. Grande signals size, created to meet larger-case tastes of the 2000s and early 2010s; many references are now discontinued, but the proportions and ergonomics live on across current Reverso models, so the look remains accessible even if specific SKUs have retired.

What the size adds is drama and legibility. Broader bevels catch light, printed tracks read crisply, and applied markers breathe. Flip the case and you reveal either a blank metal canvas for engraving or, in Duoface guise, a second dial that turns the watch into discreet travel gear without crowding a single display.

Design, materials, and sizes

The family spans stainless steel for everyday versatility and precious metals for warmth and heft. Steel stays clean and adaptable; rose gold brings richness; white gold and platinum suit minimalists who value metallurgy. Expect sapphire crystals and crisp, architectural finishing that honors the line’s Art Deco roots.

Dials lean classic: silvered tones with railway minutes, faceted markers, and leaf or dauphine hands. Black and deep colors exist, as do boutique shades inspired by Ultra Thin 1931 pieces, from burgundy to racing green. Layouts vary between full Arabic numerals, baton markers, or mixes; select references add diamonds without breaking the rectilinear discipline.

• Case materials: steel, rose gold, white gold, platinum
• Sizes (approx): width 27–30 mm; length 46–49 mm; thickness 7–10 mm
• Dial styles: silvered or colored; baton markers or Arabic numerals
• Straps: calf or alligator on folding clasps; some steel bracelets

Movements and why they matter

Jaeger-LeCoultre keeps it thoroughly manufacture. Manual-winding calibers dominate to achieve slim profiles and a tactile winding ritual that suits a dress piece, especially for sliding under a cuff. Automatics appear where convenience or added indications are prioritized. The reversible architecture enables the Duoface: two dials powered by one movement, a clever, uncluttered solution for travel time.

• Manual winding: thin, elegant, and engaging to use
• Automatic: added convenience on select date or day-night models
• Duoface: two displays, one movement, practical GMT

Complications and highlights

The range scales from pure time-only to serious high horology. Classical utilities include small seconds, date, power reserve, and moon phase. At the top end, JLC has executed tourbillons, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and even the multi-axis Gyrotourbillon within the Reverso universe, where the larger format offers real estate without losing proportion.

• Time only, small seconds, date, day-night
• Duoface dual time travel pieces
• Moon phase and power reserve options
• High complications across the broader family

Pricing and positioning

Pricing tracks materials, movement, and rarity. Steel and Ultra Thin references generally mark the entry point; second dials, automatics, or complications move the needle upward. Precious metals command premiums, and limited or boutique-color editions draw steady secondary-market interest. Many Grande Reverso references are now pre-owned only, while current Reversos occupy similar roles at retail.

• Typical pre-owned steel: about €6.500 to €11.500, by condition and configuration
• Gold models: roughly €12.900 to €28.000, rarities higher
• Complications: from about €14.900 to well above €100.000

Notable models enthusiasts watch for

• Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931, the hand-wound purist’s choice
• Grande Reverso 976, bold small-seconds presence
• Grande Reverso Duoface, quiet dual-time versatility
• Grande Reverso calendar and moon phase variants
• Larger-format high complications for showcase collecting

Within Jaeger-LeCoultre’s lineup, the Grande Reverso reads as a confident alternative to round dress watches and a knowing nod to design history that remains modern. If the standard Reverso is discreet, the Grande adds a measured swagger: the case flips, the light plays across the gadroons, and the watch becomes cultural object and timekeeper in equal measure.