SpotlightPresenting The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Venice Series’

Much has been said about the beauty of Venice, a city nestled in northeastern Italy, Europe. Claude Monet, a renowned French painter and impressionist, once called it “too beautiful to paint.” But, during his 10-week stay in the city in 1908, he painted 37 images at different locations and times in La Serenissima, birthing the ‘Venice Series’. These paintings are revered even today for their mastery, gracefully capturing the changing light of the city.

As part of their participation in the Homo Faber Biennial exhibition in Venice this September, Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the ‘Venice Series’—three limited-edition Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces, as an homage to the host city. Each of these timepieces features a miniaturised version of one of Monet’s 37 paintings on its reverse, cementing Reverso’s reputation for offering endless possibilities for artistic expression. In the past, the brand from Le Sentier, Switzerland produced the Reverso timepieces featuring miniature versions of the works of Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, and Gustave Courbet. Now, the maison have introduced the new Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Venice Series’ featuring three timepieces—the San Giorgio Maggiore, the Grand Canal, and the Doge’s Palace.

Combining the crafts of miniature painting, enamelling, and guilloche, the ‘Venice Series’ beautifully brings Monet’s works to life on the wearer’s wrist

Originally measuring more than 65cm by 92cm, the paintings are reduced to 25mm by 20mm to fit onto the reverse sides of the case

The enameller has also created the illusion of impasto to mimic the dreamlike quality of the original paintings

01

The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Venice Series’: Dial And Case

The three new watches showcase the skills of the manufacturer’s in-house Métiers Rares (rare handcrafts) atelier. Combining the crafts of miniature painting, enamelling, and guilloche, the ‘Venice Series’ beautifully brings Monet’s works to life on the wearer’s wrist. Originally measuring more than 65cm by 92cm, the paintings are reduced to 25mm by 20mm to fit onto the reverse sides of the case. While this was challenging enough, the enameller has also created the illusion of impasto to mimic the dreamlike quality of the original paintings. This feat was accomplished with a total of 14 layers of enamel, comprising three base layers, four painting layers, and seven layers of translucent ‘fondant’. Each stage required firings at up to 800 degree Celsius.

To complement the artistic works, the dials are given equal, if not more, attention. All three dials are decorated with hand-guilloche patterns—herringbone for the San Giorgio Maggiore, wavy for the Grand Canal, and lozenge for the Doge’s Palace—beneath translucent coloured enamel. Each dial results from eight or nine hours of enamelling, requiring up to five layers of enamel and six or seven separate firings at up to 800 degree Celsius. Finally, faceted appliqué hour markers and dauphine hands were carefully placed on the enamel dials, following the Reverso Tribute design code. The dials of San Giorgio Maggiore and Doge’s Palace feature grand feu enamel in shades of blue, while the Grand Canal’s dial is green. Crafted from 18-karat white gold, each case of these new timepieces measures 27.4mm by 45.6mm by 9.73mm, offering a water resistance of up to 30m.

The feat of miniaturisation was accomplished with a total of 14 layers of enamel, comprising three base layers, four painting layers, and seven layers of translucent 'fondant'. Each stage required firings at up to 800 degree Celsius

The San Giorgio Maggiore, one of the three paintings and an island, is chosen as the setting for the Homo Faber Biennial this year. In this painting, the building and its reflection on the water are captured accurately against the mesmerising light of the setting sun. Whereas, the Grand Canal was painted in the afternoon, capturing the church of Santa Maria della Salute, which appears to be floating on the water. Lastly, the Doge’s Palace was painted from a gondola in the middle of the Grand Canal at eight o’clock in the morning. It took around 70 hours each to recreate these paintings on the casebacks of the three timepieces.

The three timepieces are run by the manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 822, offering a power reserve of 42 hours

Limited to 10 pieces each, they are presented on a classic black alligator leather strap for a timeless appeal

What Moves Behind The Scenes From Venice

All three timepieces are run by the manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 822, offering a power reserve of 42 hours. Limited to 10 pieces each, these are presented on a classic black alligator leather strap for a timeless appeal.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Monet In A Nutshell

• Case: 18-karat white gold, 27.4mm
• Reverse: Grand feu enamel miniature painting—‘San Giorgio Maggiore’, ‘The Grand Canal’, or ‘The Doge’s Palace’
• Water resistance: 3om
• Dial: Herringbone guilloche, wavy guilloche, or Lozenge guilloche work with grand feu enamelling
• Functions: Hours, minutes
• Movement: Manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 822; 42-hour power reserve
• Strap: Black alligator leather