For nearly 2,000 years, two-way cultural exchange between Asia and Europe has had a profound influence on all art forms, from the visual to the performing arts, and on the craftsmanship of textiles, glass and ceramics. It is an exchange that Jaeger-LeCoultre has engaged in throughout the history of the Manufacture. To mark the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates this long-standing cultural exchange with an exquisite new Reverso Tribute Enamel timepiece.
Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke
Combining European craftsmanship and Japanese technique, the case back celebrates Eastern art with a faithful enamel miniature reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai's woodblock print, "Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke," created in the early 1830s. "Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke" is one of eight woodblock prints in Hokusai's "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces," a series depicting famous waterfalls from Hokusai's travels around Japan's Honshu island between 1831 and 1833.
Embodying Jaeger-LeCoultre's creativity and its vision for the world of art and culture, this new timepiece is a testament to the exceptional talent and skill of the artisans at Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rare® (Rare Crafts) workshops.
The timepiece's decoration, including the meticulously crafted caseback, is indicative of the many challenges inherent in such a work of art. Foremost among these challenges was recreating the 37x24.5 cm piece at roughly one-tenth the size of the original, capturing all its details in perfect proportion, including the people gazing up at the waterfall.
Hokusai depicted Kirifuri Falls with a wider perspective and bolder colors than his previous work, capturing the power and beauty of the water cascading 100 meters down the mountainside. The enamellers not only had to perfectly imitate this, but also create the illusion of woodblock printing, achieving a special effect entirely different from that achieved through enameling. In particular, the multicolor print required the use of multiple woodblocks, each with a different color applied in turn, posing the particular challenge of recreating the subtle nuances and gradual gradations of color seen in the original. To create this illusion, Jaeger-LeCoultre's master enamellers had to develop a unique technique.
With its faceted applied hour markers and dauphine hands, the simplicity of the Reverso Tribute's dial allows it to fully showcase the beauty of its decoration. Echoing the artistry of the miniature painting on the caseback, the dial is adorned with an unusual wave guilloché pattern chosen to represent the effect of flowing water. Crafted by hand using a century-old lathe equipped with a special cam to create the specific pattern, this wavy visual effect is enhanced by multiple layers of transparent Grand Feu enamel in a soft green hue that matches the detail of the miniature painting on the reverse.
After multiple firings to create the enamel layers, the final challenge is to attach the hour markers intact (by drilling tiny holes in the pristine surface of the enamel) and transfer the railway minute track.
As with all enameling, the firing process can result in unexpected discoloration, so it takes a considerable amount of time to perfectly match the color of the Reverso Tribute Enamel dial with the painting on the back, faithfully recreating this painting in Hokusai's original colors. In addition to these hours, almost five hours of work is required for the guilloching alone, and a further eight hours are then required to create the transparent green enamel layer. This means that just painting the miniature on the case back requires more than 70 hours of work.
About Katsushika Hokusai
Perhaps the best-known Japanese artist in the West, Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was an enormously prolific illustrator, printmaker, and ukiyo-e artist. His fame was solidified after he was over 80 by his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji woodblock print series, which includes one of the world's most famous works of art: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. (Jaeger-LeCoultre reproduced The Great Wave off Kanagawa as an enamel miniature on a limited-edition Reverso watch in 2018.)
The popularity of ukiyo-e prints, depicting the hedonistic lifestyle of the merchant class of the Edo period (1600–1868), led to the rise of woodblock printing as a means of reproducing these paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries. Characterized by his innovative use of composition and color, Hokusai was instrumental in transforming ukiyo-e from portraiture to a broader genre that included landscapes, plants, and animals. As a result of his fame, ukiyo-e and woodblock prints have played a central role in shaping Western perceptions of Japanese art.
Technical Specifications
Reverso Tribute Enamel
Case: White gold
Dimensions: 45.5 mm x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm
Movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 822, mechanical hand-wound
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power reserve: 42 hours
Dial: Guilloché and Grand Feu enamel
Case back: Grand Feu enamel miniature painting
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Reference: Q39334T2 - Limited edition of 10 pieces
Price: 80,000€ (As of June 30th, reference price in Japanese yen: 11,616,000 yen)
About the Reverso
In 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso, a timepiece that would become a classic of 20th-century design. Built to withstand the rigors of polo, its clean Art Deco lines and unique reversible case make it instantly recognizable. Over its 90 years, the Reverso has constantly evolved without compromising its identity. It has been powered by more than 50 different calibers, and its blank metal back has become a canvas for creative expression, decorated with enamel, engraving, gemstones and more. Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the Reverso remains unchanged and represents the modern spirit that inspired its creation.
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Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke
Combining European craftsmanship and Japanese technique, the case back celebrates Eastern art with a faithful enamel miniature reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai's woodblock print, "Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke," created in the early 1830s. "Kirifuri Falls, Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke" is one of eight woodblock prints in Hokusai's "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces," a series depicting famous waterfalls from Hokusai's travels around Japan's Honshu island between 1831 and 1833.
Embodying Jaeger-LeCoultre's creativity and its vision for the world of art and culture, this new timepiece is a testament to the exceptional talent and skill of the artisans at Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rare® (Rare Crafts) workshops.
The timepiece's decoration, including the meticulously crafted caseback, is indicative of the many challenges inherent in such a work of art. Foremost among these challenges was recreating the 37x24.5 cm piece at roughly one-tenth the size of the original, capturing all its details in perfect proportion, including the people gazing up at the waterfall.
Hokusai depicted Kirifuri Falls with a wider perspective and bolder colors than his previous work, capturing the power and beauty of the water cascading 100 meters down the mountainside. The enamellers not only had to perfectly imitate this, but also create the illusion of woodblock printing, achieving a special effect entirely different from that achieved through enameling. In particular, the multicolor print required the use of multiple woodblocks, each with a different color applied in turn, posing the particular challenge of recreating the subtle nuances and gradual gradations of color seen in the original. To create this illusion, Jaeger-LeCoultre's master enamellers had to develop a unique technique.
With its faceted applied hour markers and dauphine hands, the simplicity of the Reverso Tribute's dial allows it to fully showcase the beauty of its decoration. Echoing the artistry of the miniature painting on the caseback, the dial is adorned with an unusual wave guilloché pattern chosen to represent the effect of flowing water. Crafted by hand using a century-old lathe equipped with a special cam to create the specific pattern, this wavy visual effect is enhanced by multiple layers of transparent Grand Feu enamel in a soft green hue that matches the detail of the miniature painting on the reverse.
After multiple firings to create the enamel layers, the final challenge is to attach the hour markers intact (by drilling tiny holes in the pristine surface of the enamel) and transfer the railway minute track.
As with all enameling, the firing process can result in unexpected discoloration, so it takes a considerable amount of time to perfectly match the color of the Reverso Tribute Enamel dial with the painting on the back, faithfully recreating this painting in Hokusai's original colors. In addition to these hours, almost five hours of work is required for the guilloching alone, and a further eight hours are then required to create the transparent green enamel layer. This means that just painting the miniature on the case back requires more than 70 hours of work.
About Katsushika Hokusai
Perhaps the best-known Japanese artist in the West, Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was an enormously prolific illustrator, printmaker, and ukiyo-e artist. His fame was solidified after he was over 80 by his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji woodblock print series, which includes one of the world's most famous works of art: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. (Jaeger-LeCoultre reproduced The Great Wave off Kanagawa as an enamel miniature on a limited-edition Reverso watch in 2018.)
The popularity of ukiyo-e prints, depicting the hedonistic lifestyle of the merchant class of the Edo period (1600–1868), led to the rise of woodblock printing as a means of reproducing these paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries. Characterized by his innovative use of composition and color, Hokusai was instrumental in transforming ukiyo-e from portraiture to a broader genre that included landscapes, plants, and animals. As a result of his fame, ukiyo-e and woodblock prints have played a central role in shaping Western perceptions of Japanese art.
Technical Specifications
Reverso Tribute Enamel
Case: White gold
Dimensions: 45.5 mm x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm
Movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 822, mechanical hand-wound
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power reserve: 42 hours
Dial: Guilloché and Grand Feu enamel
Case back: Grand Feu enamel miniature painting
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Reference: Q39334T2 - Limited edition of 10 pieces
Price: 80,000€ (As of June 30th, reference price in Japanese yen: 11,616,000 yen)
About the Reverso
In 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso, a timepiece that would become a classic of 20th-century design. Built to withstand the rigors of polo, its clean Art Deco lines and unique reversible case make it instantly recognizable. Over its 90 years, the Reverso has constantly evolved without compromising its identity. It has been powered by more than 50 different calibers, and its blank metal back has become a canvas for creative expression, decorated with enamel, engraving, gemstones and more. Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the Reverso remains unchanged and represents the modern spirit that inspired its creation.
Click here for company press release details
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