A watch born on a polo field in colonial India is now the centerpiece of one of the more unusual things you can do for free in Miami this week. Jaeger-LeCoultre's "Reverso Stories" pop-up opened May 21 at the Miami Design District, running through May 31, and it arrives ahead of the Swiss Maison's permanent boutique opening in the same neighborhood later this summer.

The Reverso traces its origins to 1931, when watch importer César de Trey challenged a manufacturer to produce a wristwatch sturdy enough to survive polo matches played by British army officers in India. The solution was a rectangular Art Deco case that physically flips over to protect the crystal and dial. Over nine decades, the design has housed more than 50 different calibers while its blank flip side became a canvas for enamel work and engravings, expanding what the watch could mean beyond function. The Reverso is not a sentimental relic. During the 1930s, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Cartier all made watches using the Reverso case before Jaeger-LeCoultre eventually became its sole custodian. Rolex + 2

Jaeger-LeCoultre Lays Out the Reverso's Full Arc in Four Chapters

The Miami installation organizes that history into four thematic sections: Story of an Icon, Story of Design, Story of Innovation, and Story of Craftsmanship. Visitors can walk through a curated selection of rare archival pieces alongside contemporary models, including new Reverso launches making their debut in South Florida. The exhibition also features live demonstrations of perlage, a decorative finishing technique used on watch movements that involves hand-polishing metal surfaces into a pattern of overlapping circles. Guided tours are free and open to the public.

The programming extends past the cases and the timepieces. Jaeger-LeCoultre's Made of Makers program, which the Maison uses to platform artistic collaborations, contributes a large-scale 3D video sculpture called "Origin" by digital artist Dr. Yiyun Kang. The work was built specifically for this iteration of the exhibition.

Nina Métayer and the 1931 Café Give the Pop-Up an Unexpected Culinary Dimension

The food component would stand out at any luxury brand activation. Nina Métayer was named the World's Best Pastry Chef at The World's 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in Las Vegas in June 2024, an honor that came after years of work at Paris institutions including Le Meurice and Le Grand Restaurant. She has been collaborating with Jaeger-LeCoultre on bespoke pastries inspired by the Reverso for the Maison's global pop-up cafés. For Miami, Métayer developed a creation called "Splendeur Tropicale," an exclusive gourmet smoothie designed for the city, served at what Jaeger-LeCoultre is calling the reimagined 1931 Café. The World's 50 BestPastry Arts

The name is a reference to the Reverso's founding year, and the café format has traveled with the Reverso Stories exhibition in prior stops. The exhibition ran at Dubai Design Week in November 2025, where it was also structured around the ninety-year history of the timepiece. Miami marks the exhibition's arrival in the United States. gulfnews

The timing is deliberate. The Miami Design District has drawn Cartier, Patek Philippe, and other Swiss watch brands over the past decade as the neighborhood shifted from an industrial design hub to a destination for luxury retail. Rolex opened a flagship there in December 2025. For Jaeger-LeCoultre, the pop-up is functioning as both introduction and preview, offering the public a look at the Maison's identity before the boutique opens its doors permanently. The Reverso Stories exhibition at the Miami Design District is open through May 31, with complimentary guided tours available during operating hours.

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