Jaeger-LeCoultre Presents Two Reversos in Homage to Hokusai
From its inception, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been influenced by Asian art, skillfully blending Eastern designs into its exquisite timepieces. This practice celebrates the longstanding cultural interchange between Asia and Europe, a relationship spanning approximately two millennia. In 2023, La Grande Maison honours this heritage with two new additions to the Reverso Tribute series. These watches feature miniature enamel paintings based on the works of Katsushika Hokusai, a renowned 19th-century Japanese artist. The chosen artworks are “The Waterfall at Ono on the Kisokaido Road” and “The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed his Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province.”
Hokusai is recognized for revolutionizing ukiyo-e painting, a style previously centred around the 19th-century merchant class of the Edo Period. He expanded this genre to encompass landscapes, flora, and fauna. The designs on the 2023 Reverso Tribute models come from Hokusai’s collection “A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces,” created between 1831 and 1833 after he travelled across Honshu. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares™ workshop has previously celebrated Hokusai’s work, with Reverso Tribute models in 2021 and 2022 showcasing waterfalls at Kirifuri and Amida, respectively. The 2023 models continue this tradition, selecting images that resonate with La Grande Maison’s deep-rooted connection to nature.
Renowned for his groundbreaking techniques in composition and colour, Hokusai (circa 1760–1849) excelled as an illustrator, printmaker, and master of the ukiyo-e art form. During his era, the art of woodblock printing saw a significant rise, predominantly used for replicating ukiyo-e artworks. Hokusai’s widespread acclaim was crucial in shaping Western perceptions of Japanese art. Among his most important works is the “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” series, which includes the iconic “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” celebrated globally and recognized as one of the most famous pieces of art worldwide. This piece was commemorated by Jaeger-LeCoultre in a special Reverso edition in 2018. Hokusai’s collection, “A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces,” was groundbreaking in its focus on waterfalls within the ukiyo-e genre. Each piece in this series powerfully captures the waterfalls’ majesty, often dwarfing human figures in their presence.
Encapsulating the Majesty and Dynamism of Waterfalls
“The Waterfall at Ono” captures a renowned location in Nagano Prefecture, along the historic route connecting Kyoto to the Tokugawa shogunate’s centre in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Adjacent to the waterfall is a small Shinto shrine perched on a rocky outcrop, and below, on a bridge, a group of travellers marvel at the waterfall’s immense force. The painting’s structure enhances the sensation of this force, depicting the water’s steep descent flanked by lofty cliffs. In Japanese culture, extraordinary natural wonders are often seen as manifestations of a kami, or Shinto deity. Hokusai’s depiction vibrantly conveys this belief, imbuing his artwork with dynamic vitality that mirrors his animistic views.
Craftsmanship and Accuracy in Small-Scale Artistry
In “The Waterfall at Yoshino,” Hokusai depicts a renowned narrative from the life of General Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189). Pursued by his elder brother, who viewed him as a traitor for allying with Emperor Go-Shirakawa, Yoshitsune finds a moment of peace in the mountains of Yoshino (present-day Nara Prefecture) to refresh and care for his cherished horse. The artwork’s striking visual style vividly portrays the waterfall’s intense flow as it courses through a densely wooded ravine. The waterfall, resembling a colossal hand with outstretched fingers cradling the earth, symbolizes the profound interconnection of nature, humanity, and animals in a profoundly moving representation.
The Reverso case-backs feature exquisite miniature paintings crafted using the Geneva method. This intricate process involves applying over 14 layers of enamel; each fired at 800°C before the next layer is added, cumulating in a labour-intensive process spanning around 80 hours. A significant challenge for the enameller was to replicate Hokusai’s original hues, including the subtle bokashi shading, in a vastly different medium and precisely recreate each detail with remarkable accuracy on a scale about one-tenth the size of the original. Especially impressive are the frame’s top cartouches, where the original captions have been meticulously handwritten on a minuscule scale yet remain perfectly accurate and legible. In doing so, the enameller showcases technical prowess and captures the essence and emotional depth of the original artwork.
In their elegance, the front dials of the watches offer a stark contrast to the complexity of the miniature paintings. Despite their seemingly simple appearance, these dials result from sophisticated craftsmanship. Each dial’s background has been hand-guilloché: the “Waterfall at Ono” features a traditional barleycorn pattern, requiring 3 to 4 hours of precise work, while the “Waterfall at Yoshino” showcases a diamond pattern with an astonishing 800 lines, each needing five lathe passes (totalling 4,000), accounting for eight hours of labour for the guilloche alone. Subsequently, 4 to 5 layers of translucent green enamel are applied, each undergoing its own firing and drying process, adding another eight hours spread over a week.
These new Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces, crafted in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares™ (Rare Handcrafts) workshop in the Vallée de Joux, not only embody the brand’s deep engagement with art and culture but also affirm the Reverso’s continued evolution as a canvas for artistic expression. These watches are a dignified contribution to the ongoing narrative of the Reverso, celebrating its limitless potential for creative artistry.
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL HOKUSAI – The Waterfall at Ono
Case | White Gold |
Dimensions | 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick |
Calibre | Manually wound Calibre 822 |
Functions | Hours and minutes |
Front Dial | Barleycorn guilloché, Grand Feu enamel |
Caseback | Closed – miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel |
Power reserve | 42 hours |
Strap | Black alligator |
Limited Edition | 10 pieces |
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL HOKUSAI – The Waterfall at Yoshino
Case | White Gold |
Dimensions | 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick |
Calibre | Manually wound Calibre 822 |
Functions | Hours and minutes |
Front Dial | Lozenge guilloché, Grand Feu enamel |
Caseback | Closed – miniature-painted Grand Feu enamel |
Power reserve | 42 hours |
Strap | Black alligator |
Limited Edition | 10 pieces |
Learn more here.