An equestrian classic
It’s now an ubiquitous smart watch, but Jaeger-LeCoultre’s famous Reverso is one of the earliest examples of watches made with sports in mind.
First launched in 1931, its stroke of genius was the way it could be slid to the side and flipped over – ostensibly to protect the dial from flailing mallets during polo matches. You could argue that you may as well just leave it off, but its horsey associations – and the fact that the flippable reverse side was ideal for engraving coats of arms and other motifs – made it a hit with high society, and so it has remained.
Its link to equestrian sports is today maintained by Australian show jumper Edwina Tops-Alexander, the top-ranked female in her sport, who will be going for gold in London next month.
Pictured top: Lady Reverso, £5,350 www.jaegerlecoultre.com