Jaeger-LeCoultre Presents In Venice A Reverso Watch In Tribute To The Scuola Grande di San Rocco

 For over a decade, Jaeger-LeCoultre has forged strong ties with Venice based on a love of the arts and the conservation of cultural heritage. Not only is it a partner to the Mostra, Venice’s International Film Festival, it has also become patron of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco - a unique place which is close to the hearts of all Venetians and has sponsored restoration work there since 2013. At the occasion of the 73^rd Mostra, Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils a unique Reverso Grande Taille watch featuring an enamelled miniature paying tribute to the restoration work of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. For the enamelled personalisation, Jaeger-LeCoultre chose to represent the main marble staircase of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco which has been renovated recently thanks to the support of the Manufacture. It took every ounce of the enamellist’s artistry to transpose onto the back of the Reverso watch the majestic staircase. Only few colours were used to respect the original image, whence the need for the enameller to work on subtle contrasts using the same colour. The challenge was also to respect the straight lines while working on the curved surface of the Reverso case in yellow gold. Reproducing the texture of the marble was a difficulty as well, as the firing highly attenuated the artistic effects of the painting. The project required three weeks of work, 32 drying at 230°C and 15 firings at 800°C.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reputation as a master of inventive watchmaking dates back more than 180 years, and time-honoured ancient decorative arts are among the most precious crafts faithfully preserved by the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux. Enamelling, engraving and gem setting are all part of a range of rare skills that Jaeger-LeCoultre associates in its different watchmaking creations and that it masters beneath its own roof. A discipline that is scarcely taught these days, miniature enamel painting is one of these singular skills. Jaeger-LeCoultre delights in seeking out the most authentic, high-quality enamels which, given the rarity of the craft, are becoming increasingly hard to find. Once sourced, these refined materials are entrusted to the expert hands of the enamel specialists at the Manufacture, all of whom call upon the noblest expressions of their art in personalising the watches. Today, the enamelling workshop on the Manufacture’s site comprises a team of artists who create a wide range of personalised enamelled works on Reverso case-backs as well as on dials. Inspired by their exceptional creative vision, the specialists belonging to this atelier have successfully recreated a number of masterpieces of the Great Masters on one-of-a-kind timepieces.