Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds Ref. Q3988481

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds is one of the cleverest watches in modern watchmaking, and its story starts in 1931. The Reverso's swivelling rectangular case was designed for British army officers playing polo in India, who needed to protect the crystal from the knocks of a match, so the case flips to show a solid metal back. Decades later, in 1994, Jaeger-LeCoultre turned that protective back into a second dial, and the Duoface was born.

The genius is that a single movement drives both faces. On the front, a sunray-brushed blue dial shows the hours, minutes and a small seconds at 6 o'clock, with applied trapezoidal markers, Dauphine hands and a railroad minute track. Flip the case and the reverse reveals a silvered-grey dial displaying a second time zone with a day and night indicator, adjusted by a slider hidden in the case band so nothing disturbs the clean lines. Two dials, two pairs of hands turning in opposite directions, one mechanical movement, which is the technical feat Jaeger-LeCoultre patented.

That movement is the manually-wound Calibre 854, made entirely in-house and shaped as a rectangle to fit the Reverso case exactly, with 160 components, 19 jewels and around 42 hours of power reserve. The steel case measures 47 by 28.3mm and just 10.34mm thick, water resistant to 30 metres, on an interchangeable blue calfskin strap. At Konesseur, every watch is authenticated and inspected in Dubai before listing, and the UAE's 5% VAT keeps a piece at this level below European retail. See more in the watches range to compare.

• Reference and model: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds, Ref. Q3988481, stainless steel, 47 x 28.3 x 10.34mm
• Dials: front sunray-brushed blue dial with applied markers, Dauphine hands and small seconds at 6 o'clock; reverse silvered-grey dial with second time zone and day/night indicator, set by a hidden case-band slider
• Movement: manually-wound in-house Calibre 854, single movement driving both dials, 19 jewels, 160 components, 21,600 vph, ~42h power reserve, sapphire crystal, 30m water resistance (confirm which straps are included)