Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the 2026 Lunar Year of the Horse with two remarkable creations: the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Horse’ and the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ series. Masterfully crafted in the Métiers Rares™ atelier, these timepieces combine hand engraving, Grand Feu enamelling, and miniature painting to create limited-edition watches that exemplify the Maison’s dedication to artistry and horological excellence.
The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Horse’ pays homage to the horse both as a symbol and as a nod to the Reverso’s sporting origins in polo. Its caseback reveals a meticulously hand-engraved horse in motion, emerging from golden clouds, with details highlighted in black rhodium for lifelike depth. Crafted atop Grand Feu black enamel, the engraving alone demands 80 hours of meticulous work, reflecting extraordinary skill and patience.
Equally striking is the dial, which mirrors the deep black enamel of the caseback. Layers of Grand Feu enamel are carefully applied, fired, and polished over several days to achieve uniformity and brilliance. The resulting surface complements the Art Deco-inspired Reverso dial, with faceted appliqué hour markers, chemin de fer minute track, and Dauphine hands, balancing elegance with visual clarity.
The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ series extends this celebration of equine beauty through a tribute to the influential 20th-century Chinese artist. Each of the three models features a hand-painted enamel miniature of Xu Beihong’s iconic horse artworks, miniaturised from canvases over one square metre to a 2 cm² caseback, capturing the dynamic brushstrokes and vitality of the original pieces. Each miniature requires 80 hours of enamel work.
Complementing the enamelled casebacks, the dials are decorated with hand-guilloché patterns overlaid with Grand Feu enamel in evocative colours. The three watches – The Running Horse, Two Horses, and The Standing Horse – use tones inspired by traditional Chinese painting, including Evergreen Pine Green, Distant Mountain Blue, and Crimson Dawn Orange, creating a visual dialogue between the artwork and timekeeping.
Both series are powered by the manually wound Calibre 822, developed entirely in-house at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Manufacture in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux. Offering hours, minutes, and a 42-hour power reserve, the movement underscores the fusion of technical mastery with decorative artistry, reinforcing the Maison’s position as a guardian of fine watchmaking traditions.
Limited to just 10 pieces each, the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Horse’ and the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ watches are not only a celebration of the Lunar New Year but also a testament to the Maison’s enduring dedication to Métiers Rares™ craftsmanship. By uniting Swiss horology with cultural reverence and artistic finesse, Jaeger-LeCoultre elevates each timepiece into a collectible work of art for connoisseurs worldwide.
