Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hokusai Waterfall series

Andrew O’Connor

For more coverage from Watches & Wonders click here.

• Jaeger-LeCoultre completes the Hokusai series of A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces with four new limited edition Reverso references.
• Each model features a hand-engraved guilloché dial with grand feu enamel, and miniaturised versions of Hokusai paintings done in grand feu enamel.
• Limited to 10 pieces per reference, each one is cased in 18k white gold, and comes with the option of a black alligator strap with 18k white gold folding clasp, or an 18k white gold Milanese bracelet. Pricing is available on request.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso is an icon in many ways, as it is one of the first sports watches ever produced. The reversible case was intended to protect the front glass during polo matches, but has become a platform for customisation and complications. Focusing on the former with this series of limited editions, Jaeger-LeCoultre is showing off the full capabilities of its Métiers Rares division by creating four new limited editions with hand-engraved and grand feu enamel dials, each of which features hand painted grand feu enamel case backs with miniaturised versions of paintings from 19th century Japanese artist Hokusai’s series A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces.

Hokusai, who lived from 1760 to 1849, was noted as one of the most prolific and impactful artists within the genre of ukiyo-e paintings, which focused on landscapes, plants, and animals. While this genre existed for over 200-years, woodblock printing flourished during Hokusai’s lifetime, allowing him to reproduce his paintings. Hokusai’s volume of work and ability to reproduce them were pivotal in the formation of the Western world’s perception of Japanese art. His depictions of water were largely facilitated by the advent of Prussian blue pigment. Before this, artificial pigment was being developed in Belgium in the 18th century, and then brought to Japan in the 19th century. Blue pigments were derived from indigo and grinding semi-precious stones. The Prussian blue pigment made for more saturated and vibrant blues, allowing for richer and more varied shades of blue that were not possible before. Hokusai was an early and enthusiastic adopter of this pigment and utilised it heavily in his A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces series.

2018 marked the first year Jaeger-LeCoultre miniaturised one of Hokusai’s artworks on the caseback of a Reverso, utilising Hokusai’s The Great Wave of Kanagawa. This was followed in 2021 with the first Reverso using a painting from Hokusai’s Waterfall series, using Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke. Jaeger-LeCoultre released another Waterfall watch in 2022 (The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaidō Road), and two more in 2023 (The Waterfall at Ono on the Kisokaidō Road and The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed his Horse at Yoshino in Yamato). With eight paintings in total in this series, Jaeger-LeCoultre releases the final four paintings in 2026, completing the series.

The last four paintings in the series, Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province, Kiyotaki Kannon Waterfall at Sakanoshita on the Tōkaidō, Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province, and The Falls at Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital, are the ones featured in this series of limited edition Reversos. Each painting gets its own limited run of 10 pieces, all done in grand feu enamel. This painstaking process requires a minimum of 14 layers of enamel, with each layer requiring being fired at 800 degrees Celsius before the next layer is applied, resulting in over 80 hours of work per miniature painting. Each of these models replicates Hokusai’s original paintings in miniature, even including the handwritten captions, which remain accurate and legible in these miniaturised versions. The Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province has a barleycorn guilloché dial with a copper enamel finish, the Kiyotaki Kannon Waterfall at Sakanoshita on the Tōkaidō has a wave guilloché pattern with a green enamel finish, the Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province has a bamboo guilloché pattern with a yellow-green enamel finish, and the The Falls at Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital has a herringbone guilloché pattern with a light blue enamel finish.

The specs for these Reverso watches are the same for each model. The cases are made of 18k white gold and measure 45.6mm in length, 27.4mm in width, and 9.73mm thick. The movement inside is the manually wound Calibre 822, displaying the hours and minutes, and has a 42-hour power reserve. The case is water resistant to 30 meters, and comes with either a black alligator strap with a matching 18k white gold folding buckle, or a full 18k white gold Milanese mesh style bracelet, just like the one unveiled in rose gold last year.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to Hokusai Enamel Waterfalls Series pricing and availability

Each of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to Hokusai Enamel Waterfalls series is available now for enquiries. Price: POA, each model limited to 10 pcs.