Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rare workshop preserves traditional techniques for the Reverso

From the end of the 18th century, miniature enamel, the art of creating miniature pictures with enamel, flourished in the watch industry, centered in Geneva, Switzerland. Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rares® workshop continues this traditional technique with the Reverso.

Wear the thriving Geneva tradition now on your wrist

　Enamel has long been used for a variety of decorative items, and is also closely related to the watch industry. From the end of the 18th century, Geneva, Switzerland, saw the active production of pocket watches decorated with miniature enamel (miniaturized enamel paintings) for special customers.

　There is a wristwatch with this miniature enamel applied to the case, just like the pocket watches that were once produced in Geneva. It is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Colors. Taking advantage of the Reverso's unique feature of being able to slide the case over, chevrons and straight lines are applied in Grand Feu enamel on the side opposite the dial. This timepiece is a visual treat, while also featuring this traditional Geneva technique on the wrist.

　This precise geometric pattern in enamel was realized by Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rares® workshop. This piece features a seamless pattern that flows from the flat surface to the rounded case side. It is extremely difficult to ensure that the glaze on the side adheres to the case, and then apply it evenly and without unevenness to the rounded surface, just as it did to the flat surface, and then fire it. The straight line pattern must be drawn with an extremely fine brush, demonstrating the high level of skill of the enamellers at this workshop.

　The vivid color scheme is also noteworthy. Grand Feu enamel is fired at high temperatures, which requires repeated firing and strict temperature control, and any misreading would immediately change the color of the glaze. This piece, with its vivid and uniformly painted shades of green or blue, is a feat that, as the name Métiers Rhônes suggests, could not have been achieved without the "artisan's skill."

　The Reverso One Precious Colors, which does not rely on the latest machine tools or design technology, is a timepiece that truly allows you to experience the traditions that have flourished in Geneva, both in terms of its design and manufacturing methods.