The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is a piece of art on the wrist

By Joshua Hendren

In 2022, nine decades after the iconic Reverso timepiece was born, Jaeger-LeCoultre has unveiled the latest edition to the family: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Amida Falls, a remarkable homage to the work of the 19th-century Japanese master, Katsushika Hokusai.

When it was first released to the world in 1931, the Reverso captured hearts with its  ingenious swivelling case, a functional solution to the problem of protecting the dial and glass of the watch when worn on the polo field. Ever since, the blank metal of the case back has become the perfect canvas for artistic expression, lending itself to intricate engravings, enamelling and other craftsmanship. 

For 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre pays homage to the 19th-century Japanese master, Katsushika Hokusai with a new Reverso watch decorated with a hand-enamelled miniature reproduction of The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaidō Road, a series of eight woodblock prints created by the artist in 1833 – 34.

Widely recognized as one of Japan’s greatest artists, Hokusa was among a handful of creatives who modernised the ancient practice of woodblock printing from popular, low art to high art form in the 19th century, thanks to his innovations in subject matter, colour and composition. His Waterfalls series – created when he was in his seventies – is considered by many art historians to be among the finest landscapes ever produced. 

To capture the unparalleled beauty of Hokusai’s work, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s artisans created the illusion of the woodblock printing technique, carefully miniaturising every detail of the composition on a surface of just three square centimetres. 

A marvel of Swiss horology, the Reverso Tribute dial features faceted appliqué hour-markers and Dauphine hands. On the case back, the miniature painting commands full attention and comes adorned with a guilloché lozenge pattern amplified by translucent Grand Feu enamel in a deep shade of green.

A testament to the skills of the artisans working in the Manufacturer’s Métiers Rares atelier, the new Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Amida Falls completes a trilogy of Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces that pay homage to Hokusai – another work from his Waterfalls series, Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke (Shimotsuke Kurokamiyama Kirifuri-no-taki) in 2021, and a reproduction of his most famous work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nama ura) in 2018.

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