Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Flowers Collection
These watches are crafted in pink gold and showcase the Maison's mastery in decorative arts and jewellery techniques, incorporating complex enamelling, gold-leaf paillonnage, and gem-setting. Share
The Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ series by Jaeger-LeCoultre has expanded with the addition of three new timepieces for 2024. This series highlights the brand’s exceptional expertise in decorative crafts and jewellery, presenting a sophisticated canvas for artistic expression through the iconic Reverso watch model.
The Reverso watch, with its distinctive swivelling, rectangular case, serves as a medium for artistic display, particularly evident in its monoface models with blank pink gold 750/1000 (18-carat) case-backs. These surfaces invite the skilled artisans of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares atelier to showcase their mastery of ornamental crafts, a tradition that melds the heritage of fine watchmaking with artistic brilliance.
Introduced in 2021, the Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ collection merges traditional watchmaking with High Jewellery, featuring lavish designs that incorporate enamelling, gold-leaf paillonnage, and gem-setting. This year, three new pink gold models join the collection, each limited to 10 pieces, bringing fresh vibrancy and elegance. Drawing inspiration from Tropical Art Deco, a style prominent during the 1930s known for its sleek Streamline Modern architecture combined with vivid, lush natural elements, these models resonate with the energy and colours of this period. Places like Miami, Singapore, and Mumbai still bear architectural remnants of this rich style, known for its dynamic and colourful motifs.
Each timepiece requires intricate coordination between various craftsmen over months, emphasising a blend of traditional techniques with innovative designs. The face of the watch contrasts sharply with its decorative case: the dial, made of white mother-of-pearl, is bordered by gold brackets and adorned with diamond-set gadroons, while the winding crown features a prominently displayed diamond.
The art of champlevé enamelling is central to these designs. Artisans first carve into the gold case to outline the floral patterns, then meticulously fill these outlines with layers of enamel, each requiring a precise firing at high temperatures to set. The delicate paillonnage involves placing thin pieces of 24-carat gold leaf beneath the enamel to create shimmering effects and depth, enhancing the floral designs with a three-dimensional look.
After multiple firings, each adding to the depth and intensity of the colours, skilled gem-setters adorn the designs with diamonds, adding an element of opulence and intricacy. This complex interaction between hard and soft materials presents unique challenges, as the metal’s responsiveness changes with each firing. The ‘Precious Flowers’ series features three distinct models for 2024, each celebrating a specific tropical flower through Jaeger-LeCoultre’s exquisite craftsmanship.
Birds of Paradise is a model captures the essence of the flower known for symbolising joy and freedom. The vibrant oranges and gold are achieved through multiple layers of enamel over gold leaf, creating a luminous effect enhanced by a snow-set diamond backdrop. The strap’s green alligator leather complements the vivid colours of the enamel work.
Hibiscus Enamel represents beauty and wisdom, this timepiece features a hibiscus motif in shades of blue and green, reminiscent of a lagoon. The entire case background is covered in Grand Feu enamel, with the flower details in champlevé enamel. Diamonds accentuate the case’s edges, adding sparkle and contrast to the serene enamel tones. Hibiscus Diamonds highlights the hibiscus flower through a striking combination of blue champlevé enamel and an intense display of snow-set diamonds, creating a dazzling contrast that accentuates the detailed craftsmanship and vibrant enamel hues.
