A Reverso is made to be reversed. On the front of these watches sits a classic dial; on the back, a miniature painting opens up. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Waterfalls is based on four works from Hokusai’s series on Japanese waterfalls. Each of the four editions is limited to ten examples. [1]
What is fascinating is not only the motif, but the scale. An enameller works on an area of roughly two square centimetres. According to the manufacture, each caseback requires at least 14 layers of Grand Feu enamel and repeated firings at around 800 degrees. The enamelling alone takes about 80 hours, while the total craft approaches 100 hours per watch. [1]
Four interpretations
Hokusai’s waterfalls are not applied as prints. They are interpreted in hand-painted enamel, so colour, depth and light depend on the material’s construction. Each motif covers less than a postage stamp, but seeks to preserve the movement in the original image. [1]
The case is made in 18-carat white gold and houses the manually wound calibre 822. Jaeger-LeCoultre gives the power reserve as 42 hours. [1]
This makes the watch an interesting double object: a precise mechanical instrument on one side and an extremely small work of art on the other. The manufacturer has not stated a public price in the material we have reviewed; the ten examples per motif are the concrete measure of its rarity.
