Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Watch Review
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai comprises two references, both of which have been inspired by the work of 19th-century artist, Katsushika Hokusai. These limited edition watches feature artistic crafts executed by ‘Métiers Rares atelier’, the Maison’s specialist department which perpetuates centuries-old traditions.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Ono
Jaeger-LeCoultre Watch Review
Based in Le Sentier, a small village in the Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre has gained a reputation for making exceptional timepieces. Underpinning this eminence is an extraordinary horological adroitness that differentiates it from most other Swiss watch brands.
Jaeger-LeCoultre depuis 1833
With its rich heritage, dating back to 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre was traditionally known for its expertise in crafting refined movements and supplying them to établisseurs where they would ultimately form part of a watch. Delve into the history of the so-called ‘Holy Trinity of Watchmaking’, namely, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin and you will discover all three Maisons have procured movements from Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso (1931)
Back in 1931, when India was governed by the British, several of the army officers stationed in the country engaged in a spot of polo. During fiercely contested chukkas, with ponies turning on a sixpence, mallets flailing in the air and polo balls bouncing along the ground, players’ watches would suffer a series of knocks. Jaeger-LeCoultre, a brand with a spirit of innovation coursing through its veins, conceived an ingenious solution, a reversible watch case able to swivel 180° in order to protect the dial and associated glazing from harm. This watch, aptly named the ‘Reverso’, has since become known to legions of horophiles around the globe.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Ono
Jaeger-LeCoultre Métiers Rares atelier
Despite the original Reverso having a solid caseback, the brand has since released models with exhibition casebacks or used the reverse for a second dial or additional complications. Over the years, the Manufacture has also repurposed the caseback, employing it as a canvas for showcasing a variety of artistic crafts, including miniature painting, Grand Feu enamel, hand-engraving, gem-setting and hand-guilloché. Indeed, the Swiss firm even has a department dedicated to creating watches incorporating artistic crafts, namely, the ‘Métiers Rares atelier’.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Yoshino
A tribute to Katsushika Hokusai
In 2021, Jaeger-LeCoultre produced a Reverso Tribute model that paid homage to ‘Japan’s most celebrated 19th-century artist’, Katsushika Hokusai. The Swiss marque was inspired by a series of eight ukiyo-e paintings titled, ‘A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces’ (Shokoku taki meguri). The first example, released in 2021, depicted the ‘Waterfall at Kirifuri’ . The following year, the Manufacture released the ‘Waterfall in Amida’.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Yoshino
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Geneva technique
This year, the luxury marque has released two further pieces, ‘The Waterfall at Ono’ and ‘The Waterfall at Yoshino’. Flipping over the rotating case in true Reverso style reveals a glorious representation of Hokusai’s work. Executed using the Geneva technique, the artistic canvas receives at least 14 layers of enamel. Each layer is fired at 800°C, then allowed to cool before the process is repeated. This alone necessitates a total of 80 hours of meticulous work. The captions adorning the original paintings have been replicated in hand-written, microscopic form.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Ono
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai hand-guilloché
Jaeger-LeCoultre has endowed both references with a hand-guilloché dial. The Waterfall at Ono is adorned with a traditional grain d’orge motif (barleycorn pattern), whereas the dial of The Waterfall at Yoshino is appointed with a lozenge pattern. Executed on a rose-engine lathe, these patterns require an inordinate amount of skill, time and patience.
The Maison states the lozenge pattern comprises ‘no fewer than 800 lines, each of which required five passages of the lathe (4,000 passages in total), representing eight hours of work only for the guillochage’. Thereafter, each dial is dressed in a translucent green enamel. There are between four and five layers applied to the surface, with each layer requiring separate firing and drying.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Yoshino
Closing thoughts
Each watch is housed in a white gold case, a material that plays a deferential role next to the bewitching beauty of the various handcrafted artisanal details. As you would expect from the esteemed Manufacture, the watch features a sublime movement, the hand-wound Calibre 822. Both references are limited to 10 pieces each and based on their prepossessing looks and mechanical excellence, they will be readily snapped up by collectors.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Ono
Further reading
https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/
Technical specifications
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Ono
- Reference: Q39334T5
- Case: 18-carat white gold, diameter 45.6 x 27.4 mm, height 9.73 mm, sapphire crystal to front and solid caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes
- Movement: Calibre 822, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), contains 19 jewels, power reserve 42 hours, 108 components
- Strap: black alligator strap
- Price on application
- Limited Edition: 10 pieces
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai – The Waterfall at Yoshino
- Reference: Q39334T5
- Case: 18-carat white gold, diameter 45.6 x 27.4 mm, height 9.73 mm, sapphire crystal to front and solid caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes
- Movement: Calibre 822, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), contains 19 jewels, power reserve 42 hours, 108 components
- Strap: black alligator strap
- Price on application
- Limited Edition: 10 pieces
