Without a hint of hyperbole, I think Jaeger-LeCoultre has just released three of the most beautiful watches I’ve seen all year. I’ve always had an affection for the work of French artist and founder of impressionist painting, Oscar-Claude Monet, and now Jaeger-LeCoultre—a brand with such a long and rich history that it was established before Monet was even born—has harnessed his work for a trio jaw-droppingly gorgeous novelties called the Reverso Tribute Enamel Monet “Venice” Series.
If you ask me, each of these limited-edition timepieces elevates the concept of horology as an art form into the stratosphere. Across the three models, “San Giorgio Maggiore”, “The Doge’s Palace”, and “The Grand Canal” (my pick of the bunch), Jaeger-LeCoultre showcases the incredible skill possessed by its in-house artisans who combine the disciplines of miniature painting, enamelling, and guillochage to craft something miraculous.
Remaking Masterpieces
Of all the difficulties that go into making a timepiece of this calibre, perhaps the most baffling element for more mortals such as myself is the hand-painted reproduction of Monet’s original works onto each Reverso watch case-back (a surface of just two centimetres squared).
To complicate matters further, the enameller also had to create an illusion of the impasto (a technique used in painting where paint is used so thickly that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible). This helps to authentically replicate the ethereal quality of Monet’s original works, key elements of which are the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere.
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Dials Patterned to Perfection
All three of the watches in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new series boast an intricately decorated dial that requires 17 hours of work to bring to life. Each of these is distinct from the other two in the range, with “The Grand Canal” sporting a green finish and “San Giorgio Maggiore” and “The Doge’s Palace” offering up individual shades of blue.
Featuring stunning hand-guilloché distinctive patterns crafted over the course of eight hours that sit beneath translucent coloured enamel, which takes an additional nine hours to complete up to five layers of enamel and seven separate firings at up to 800°C.
Atop all of this mastery, you’ll find Jaeger-LeCoultre’s appliqued hour markers and dauphine hands.
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The Embodiment of Beauty
The saying goes that every view in Venice is a painting, and these timepieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre feel like a fitting tribute to that extraordinary place. With cases constructed of white gold and alligator leather straps with a white gold double-folding buckle completing the picture, anyone lucky enough to get their hands on one can rest assured a genuine work of art rests upon their wrist.
These watches are limited to just 10 pieces each and prices are available on request, but if you need to ask then chances are you can’t afford them. Just like an original Monet.
