Over time, collectors discovered that the Reverso’s blank metal caseback offered something perhaps more important than the protection it offered to the watch itself: a canvas. Owners began commissioning engravings, monograms, coats of arms, and personal dedications, transforming the watch into an heirloom object. Few modern luxury watches invite that sort of personalization quite so naturally. In many respects, Bargatze’s gift feels closer to the original spirit of the Reverso than simply buying one off the shelf. The timing is fitting, too: The Reverso is in the midst of a genuine renaissance. Long appreciated by collectors, it has become one of the defining watches of the current dress-watch revival, showing up everywhere from the Oscars to the Met Gala on the wrists of actors, musicians, and athletes. Jaeger-LeCoultre has leaned into the momentum with increasingly ambitious releases, from world-time models and minute repeaters to elegant tribute pieces that emphasize the watch’s Art Deco roots. And for those who can’t be bothered to personalize the watch themselves, JLC often capitalizes on the blank side of the …