Introduced in 1931, the Reverso came about from a purely functional standpoint. It all stemmed from polo playing British officers stationed in India, who complained to the watch importer, César de Trey, that during games, the glass of their wristwatches were often damaged or broken. Realising that this was a genuine problem, he conveyed the message to his supplier Jacques-David LeCoultre. The latter subsequently developed a solution in the form of a wristwatch that had a swivelling face, allowing the case to be flipped over in order to protect the glass. It is unofficially classified as the ‘first sports watch’.