Jaeger-LeCoultre Presents Timepieces That Pay Homage To Hokusai Artworks
Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre recently unveiled two art-inspired timepieces, paying tribute to the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
These watches, part of the Reverso Tribute collection, feature miniature-painted enamel reproductions of the celebrated painter’s iconic works.
Hokusai, a 19th-century artist, is renowned for his transformation of ukiyo-e painting, a genre that primarily depicted the hedonistic lifestyle of Edo Japan’s merchant class.
Hokusai broadened this genre to include landscapes, plants, and animals. His most famous work, no doubt, is Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.
The new Reverso Tribute Enamel models showcase two masterpieces: The Waterfall At Ono On The Kisokaido Road and The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed His Horse At Yoshino In Yamato Province.
These paintings, part of a series titled A Tour of the Waterfalls Of The Provinces, were created by the artist during his two-year journey across Japan’s main island, Honshu, from 1831 to 1833.
Reproducing the maestro’s works on a miniature scale involved meticulous craftsmanship by the brand’s watchmakers.
The enameling process, which takes eight hours to execute using the Geneva technique, requires at least 14 layers of enamel, each fired at 800°C (1,472°F).
Notably, the enameller successfully captures each artwork’s original colors and minute details—down to the microscopic captions, which remain accurate and legible.
While the miniature paintings steal the spotlight on the case backs, the wristwatch’s front dials exhibit discreet yet complex styling.
They feature faceted appliqué hour-markers, Dauphine hands, and a chemin-de-fer minutes track, characteristic of all Reverso Tribute timepieces.
Behind these seemingly simple dials are intricate patterns requiring hours of painstaking work. Layers of translucent green enamel, applied after guillochage, add depth and dimension to the dials.
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[via Wonderland and AugustMan, images via Jaeger-LeCoultre]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
