Sell your Reverso · South Florida · by appointment
Sell your Reverso to a dealer who turns the case before he names a number.
Classic, Tribute, Grande Taille, Duoface, Duetto, or a 1930s original: each is its own market, in its own size. Send both faces and the papers. I reply within 1 business day with an offer and the reasons for it.
- Small, Medium, Large, Grande, Tribute, and vintage, sized and placed first
- Swivel play, carriage wear, and an engraved back judged on this model's terms
- Hand-wound 822 and 854 and the automatics, checked by hand
Who this page is for
Nearly every Jaeger-LeCoultre I buy is a Reverso. This is how I read one.
This page is for the Reverso owner who knows the name on the dial but not which Reverso they hold. A graduation gift, a wedding watch with initials on the back, or a Grande Taille bought in the 1990s and worn since.
The Reverso of 1931 was built so a polo player could turn the glass to face in. Since then the name has covered four sizes, Classic and Tribute lines, the two-dial Duoface, the Duetto for women, the square Squadra, and chronographs. Same name, different watches and buyers.
Below: the size path, the line, the swivel, the back, the strap. JLC Care, the 1000 Hours Control, LeCoultre signatures, and the Master and Polaris lines stay on the Jaeger-LeCoultre page.
Selling a Reverso to me
What changes when the dealer knows the case.
The swivel is tested, not assumed
I slide the case out of the carriage, turn it, lock it, then rock it for play. Worn rails are the most common Reverso fault, and a photo cannot show them.
An engraved back is not a deal breaker
Initials, a crest, a date. I price the watch as it is and tell you how far the engraving narrows the buyer pool. I will not ask you to have it removed.
Sized and placed before the number
Small, Medium, Large, Grande Taille, Tribute, Duoface. The size and line decide which buyers want your Reverso, so I place it first.
Shipping risk is mine
Prepaid FedEx label on my account, insured to declared value, signature required, opened on camera.
Paid within 24 hours of inspection
Wire or check, your choice, once the watch is inspected and matches the photos.
What I check on a Reverso
Six things that decide the offer on this model.
The reply says which way each one moved for your watch.
Line and size
Classic Small, Medium, and Large. Tribute Small Seconds, Duoface, and Chronograph. Grande Reverso. 1990s Grande Taille. Duetto, Reverso One, Squadra. Each sells to a different buyer.
Swivel, lock, and carriage
The case should glide, click, and sit flat. Play in the rails, a soft lock, or a cradle that rocks is priced as a repair.
Calibre
Hand-wound 822 with small seconds in the Grande Taille and Tribute. Hand-wound 854 in the Duoface. Automatics in some Classic models. The calibre must match the reference.
Gadroons and case lines
The three lines at the top and bottom of the case define the Reverso. Polishing rounds them. I look at the gadroons and lug edges before the dial.
The back: blank, engraved, or a second dial
A blank back suits any buyer. An engraving narrows the pool. A Duoface back is a second dial with its own hands and a day-night disc to check.
Strap and buckle
Casa Fagliano cordovan on a Tribute, alligator with a signed folding clasp on most others. A generic buckle reads as replaced.
How it works
Four steps. Real numbers.
01
Get an offer
Send the appraisal form with the front dial straight on, the case turned to show the back (engraving, blank steel, or the second dial), the case half out of the carriage so the rails show, the clasp, and the warranty card with the serial visible. Add the case length if you can measure it. I reply within 1 business day.
02
Ship or meet
Take the prepaid, fully insured FedEx label, or book an appointment in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. For a 1930s Reverso I prefer to meet.
03
Inspect and confirm
I open the box on camera, work the swivel, rock the carriage, check the calibre and serial against the card, and look at both dials on a Duoface. If it matches the photos, the offer holds.
04
Get paid
Wire or check within 24 hours of inspection. If we do not agree, the watch returns to you, insured, at my cost.
Classic or Tribute
The two current Reverso lines, side by side.
Same case idea, different dials, calibres, straps, and buyers.
| Criteria | Reverso Classic | Reverso Tribute |
|---|---|---|
| Design | The standard line: clean dials, baton markers, steel or gold | Period design: sunburst or lacquered dials, dauphine hands, 1930s proportions |
| Sizes | Small, Medium, and Large, Monoface or Duoface | Small Seconds and Duoface at Large proportions, the Chronograph, and the Tribute to 1931 of around 2011 |
| Calibre | Hand-wound in most references, automatic in some Medium and Large Duoface models | Hand-wound 822 and 854 across the line, a hand-wound chronograph calibre in the Chronograph |
| Strap | Alligator with a signed JLC folding clasp | Casa Fagliano cordovan or alligator, often on a pin buckle |
| What moves the offer most | Swivel condition, a blank back, the clasp, the card | Dial colour and edition, the strap set, the full set |
Directions, not figures. A Grande Taille or a vintage piece sits outside both columns. I show the working in the reply.
The detail
What moves a Reverso offer, and why.
Which Reverso do you have: the size path
Measure the case top to bottom, without the strap. Roughly 35 mm is a Classic Small or a Duetto. Around 40 mm is a Classic Medium. About 42 mm is the Grande Taille of the 1990s and 2000s. Roughly 45 to 46 mm is a Classic Large, a Tribute, or a Grande Reverso. One number is enough to place the watch. The reference on the papers confirms it.
Classic, Tribute, and the Grande Reverso
The Classic is the everyday line: plain dials, baton markers, steel or gold, on hand-wound calibres with automatics in some Medium and Large models. The Tribute reaches back to the 1931 design with sunburst and lacquered dials, dauphine hands, and the hand-wound 822 with small seconds. The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin of around 2011, including the Tribute to 1931, is the thin, large case collectors ask for most. A blue or burgundy Tribute dial trades differently from a silver one.
Duoface, Night and Day, and the second dial
A Duoface, introduced in the mid-1990s, puts a second dial on the back, usually set to a second time zone, driven by one movement such as the hand-wound 854. Night and Day models add a day-night disc to that back dial. A Duoface gives me two dials to inspect: both clean, both sets of hands original, and the pusher should move the second time zone without the main time moving. The added function raises the offer against a Monoface of the same size, as long as both faces pass.
Duetto, Reverso One, and ladies diamond references
The Duetto of 1997 is the ladies Reverso with two dials, often one of them diamond-set. The Reverso One of 2016 is the slim Art Deco case. Factory diamonds on the gadroons or the dial are documented on the card and set by the manufacture; I confirm they are factory before they count. On a gold Duetto the metal sets a floor, and the second dial, the diamonds, and the clasp move the offer from there.
Grande Taille, Squadra, and vintage Reversos
The Grande Taille, reference 270.8.62 in steel, arrived in the early 1990s on calibre 822 and was the standard Reverso for two decades. Many of the watches I see are this one. The Squadra of 2006 is the square Reverso, discontinued and traded in a smaller pool. A 1930s original is a vintage watch judged on dial, case, and originality. I quote those in person.
The swivel case: play, rails, and wear
The case slides on two rails and locks with a click at each end. Decades of turning wear the rails, and the case starts to rock in the cradle or the lock goes soft. That is the Reverso fault I find most, and the reason I will not price one from photos alone. The manufacture can rebuild the carriage, and that cost is priced in. Do not have it done first; I would rather see the wear than a fresh repair I cannot verify.
The back, the strap, and the clasp
The solid back was made to be engraved, and Jaeger-LeCoultre will engrave or enamel it to order. A crest or initials makes the watch personal and narrows demand to buyers who accept it or plan to engrave over it. Tell me what is there and send a straight photo. Straps wear out and are replaced; the clasp is not. Tribute models came on Casa Fagliano cordovan from the Argentine bootmaker, and that strap is part of the set. A signed JLC folding clasp or pin buckle should stay with the watch.
When selling to me is not the right call
If the back carries your grandfather's initials and you are undecided, keep it. If you hold a rare Tribute dial and have months for a private sale, a dealer offer sits below that ceiling. If you plan to buy your next watch from me, a trade may serve you better. If you want an insured sale paid within a day of inspection, that is what I do.
How to prepare your submission
- Front dial straight on in daylight, then the case turned to show the back, whatever is on it.
- The case half out of the carriage, from the side, so the rails and the lock show.
- On a Duoface or Duetto, the second dial straight on as well.
- The clasp or buckle, front and back, and the strap, even if worn.
- The warranty card beside the watch, serial visible, and any JLC Care registration or service papers.
- The case length in millimetres, and your county, or that you prefer the label.
Questions, answered
Before you send a Reverso
Does an engraving on the back lower the offer?
Usually a little, because it narrows who will buy the watch next. It does not stop a sale. Leave it as it is; removing it takes metal off the case.
Which Reverso size do I have?
Measure the case top to bottom without the strap. Roughly 35 mm is Small, 40 is Medium, 42 is the Grande Taille, and 45 to 46 is Large, Tribute, or Grande Reverso. Send the number and I confirm it.
Is a Duoface worth more than a Monoface?
Against the same size and line, yes, because of the second time zone. Both dials have to pass inspection, and the pusher should move the second dial without disturbing the main time.
Do you buy ladies and Duetto Reversos?
Yes. A Duetto or Reverso One is priced on metal first, then the second dial, factory diamonds, and the clasp. Send the card so I can confirm the diamonds are factory.
Should I have the swivel serviced first?
No. I would rather see the wear and price the repair than see a fresh rebuild I cannot verify. Worn rails are common and are priced in, not disqualifying.
Sell your Reverso
A real number on your Reverso, in 1 business day.
Send both faces, the case half turned, and the card. I reply personally with the size, the line, the number, and the reasons. Insured shipping is on me. Payout within 24 hours of inspection.