VERY RARE* 1930s Jaeger LeCoultre REVERSO Dame | Black Glossy Dial | Ref. 651

Few early Reverso Dame examples surface, and finding one in this highly coveted glossy black dial configuration is something to get excited about.The sand-coloured baton indexes and sword hands are central to the appeal, giving this small watch a remarkably strong presence.
Introduced in 1931, the Dame belongs to the very first chapter of the Reverso story, with its ingenious reversible case and slender Art Deco proportions.

There’s something particularly compelling about an early Reverso, its familiar silhouette taking us back to René-Alfred Chauvot’s 1931 invention of a reversible case designed to protect the dial and crystal during polo. For collectors, the story becomes even more interesting beneath the dial, where those first examples housed Tavannes movements before LeCoultre’s own calibre 410 arrived in 1933, with the compact 050 and 051 powering the smaller Reverso Dame. This detail places these watches firmly within the earliest years of a remarkable design.

It’s the combination of rarity, historical importance, and those particular dial details that makes an example like this worth waiting for.

CONDITION

This watch shows gentle, honest signs of wear and remains in well-cared-for overall condition. All engravings and serial numbers are crisp and fully legible. The dial has developed an even patina while retaining its lustre, and the movement has just been serviced and is running smoothly. It is paired with a vintage beads-of-rice bracelet, a particularly striking match.

THE FINE PRINT

Maker: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Year: 1930s
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 16 x 33mm
Crystal: Plexiglass
Lume: None
Bracelet/Strap: Vintage BOR Bracelet
Box/Papers: Unbranded Vintage Box