TWO ARTISTIC FACES
The year 2021 will be marked by the 90th anniversary of the iconic rectangular shape of the “Grande Maison”. This occasion provides an opportunity for the latter to once again deploy the precious know-how of its Atelier des Métiers Rares® on a limited-edition timepiece.
Although the Reverso watch may have been conceived for polo players 90 years ago, it remains a powerful source of contemporary inspiration. Its delicately curved rectangular silhouette, equipped with a sliding case, enables it to present two faces, one displaying the time and the other acting as a blank canvas for creativity. For the Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai “Kirifuri Waterfall”, a hand-wound caliber 822 produced in only 10 examples, Jaeger-LeCoultre called upon the expertise of the artists of its Atelier des Métiers Rares® to meticulously replicate a work by the great Japanese master Hokusai on the back of the watch.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a versatile artist who was part of the ukiyo-e movement, focusing on folk painting and woodblock prints. He created the Kirifuri Waterfall in 1931. His perspective is as amazing as the brightness of the shades of blue that the Japanese artist selected to depict the stream separating along the slopes of Mount Kurokami to form several waterfalls that eventually meet in a mist of droplets. The “Grande Maison” faithfully replicated this work with enamel paint in a miniaturized version on the back of the 45.5×27.4mm white gold case. As for the dial, it is covered by a guilloche pattern, undulating like a calm river, covered by several layers of Grand Feu enamel in two shades of green, on which are placed the dauphine hour and minute hands, the beveled indexes, all of which are cambered by the white railway of the minute hand.
Price upon request
By Sharmila Bertin