The top pick in the fake Reverso Tribute 1931 market is the hand-wound, time-only clone built on a working swivel case, because that is the only configuration that reproduces the two things people notice at close range: a case that turns over in the hand and a dial that reads correctly at arm's length. Everything below is judged on five criteria: case geometry and the swivel action, dial printing and font weight, movement type and visible finishing, strap and clasp hardware, and the depth of the case-back engraving.

What the original Tribute 1931 does that a clone has to copy

Jaeger-LeCoultre released the Reverso Tribute to 1931 as an anniversary piece that returned to the plain layout of the original: a slim rectangular case, a manually wound movement, no date, and in the anniversary version no small seconds. The dial is close to bare, which cuts both ways. A plain dial is simple to print, so a cheap copy photographs well, and it is also unforgiving, because there is nothing to hide behind. On a Reverso the case is the design. If the rectangle is too tall, too squat, or too thick, the watch reads as wrong from across a table even when the dial is perfect.

Top pick: hand-wound clone with a real swivel case

  • Pros: the cradle turns a full 180 degrees and locks flat when closed; the rectangle keeps close to the original height-to-width ratio; a manual movement with decorated bridges makes an exhibition back worth flipping; the profile stays slim enough to slide under a cuff.
  • Cons: most copies run thicker than the original; the crown and the detent that holds the case in place feel different in the hand; you pay more for a movement almost nobody sees unless the case is turned over.

Recommendation: buy this tier if you plan to wear the watch and use the swivel, which is the entire point of the design.

Runner-up: quartz Tribute 1931 clones

  • Pros: low cost, accurate timekeeping, and a thin case is achievable without a movement spacer; fine as a display piece or a photo prop.
  • Cons: there is no movement worth showing through the back; the swivel can feel stiff or hollow; engraving on the case back tends to be shallow; a running seconds hand on a dial that should be time only is an easy tell.

Recommendation: choose quartz if the watch will sit in a case or appear in photos, not if you want the mechanical feel of winding it.

Runner-up: Duoface and Small Seconds clones

  • Pros: more complication for the money, a second time zone on the reverse face, and more visual interest if you like a busier dial.
  • Cons: these are different references with different dial layouts, so they do not deliver the 1931 look; extra faces and handsets mean more details that can be off.

Recommendation: skip these if the goal is the plain anniversary dial. Choose a Duoface clone only if the dual time zone matters more to you than the vintage styling.

What to inspect before you buy

  1. Case size and thickness, checked against the published dimensions of the reference you want.
  2. Dial printing: font shape, letter spacing, and whether the indices sit level with the case edges.
  3. Swivel action: smooth rotation, no rattle, no visible gap when the case is closed.
  4. Movement: hand winding should feel consistent, and any display back should show finishing rather than a bare plate.
  5. Strap and hardware: leather grain, stitching, buckle finish, and whether the lug fittings match the case.
  6. Engraving on the back plate: line depth and crispness, which is where budget copies fail fastest.
  7. Water resistance claims: treat any rating on a copy as decorative rather than functional.

Use-case recommendations

  • Daily wear: the hand-wound swivel clone, judged on case proportions first.
  • Occasional wear or display: a quartz copy is enough and keeps better time.
  • Vintage styling on a budget: hold out for correct case geometry, since the rectangle carries the look.
  • Gift or travel beater: quartz, because the swivel mechanism on cheap copies is the first thing to fail.

Short answer

A convincing fake Reverso Tribute 1931 is a question of the case, not the dial. Get the rectangle right and the swivel working, and the watch passes at conversation distance. Get those wrong and no amount of dial detail will save it.