Grand Feu enamel miniatures for fans of rare artisan techniques.
The Waterfall at Ono on the Kisokaido Road (Kisokaidō Ono no bakufu) and the Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed his Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province (Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki) — two novelties from Jaeger-LeCoultre's Métiers Rares that reproduce art by Katsushika Hokusai.
They may have similar names, but waterfall (Jp. "taki") is referred to as a cascade (Jp. "bakufu") in the original Japanese name for the scene at Ono. The only "cascade" in Hokusai's series of woodblock prints "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces" depicts a graphic stream of falling water.
The artists at Jaeger-LeCoultre have reproduced the feel of the two different woodblock prints using the Grand Feu enameling technique: the woodblock prints have been transferred as miniatures onto the back of Reverso cases using a Genevan technique which requires no less than 14 layers of enamel.
Each newly applied layer is fired at a temperature of 800°C, which gradually allows the detailed illustration with fine details to come together. You can appreciate the artist's mastery by turning your attention to the microscopic signature on the upper frame.
Another example of the stunningly accurate detailed work is the hand-engraved guilloché dial. For the Waterfall at Ono, a classic herringbone pattern has been used, while a lozenge pattern has been applied to the dial of the Waterfall at Yoshino piece, comprising no fewer than 800 lines.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai 'The Waterfall at Ono'
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai 'The Waterfall at Yoshino'
Each line requires five passages of the lathe. Once the dials have been engraved with guilloché patterns, multiple layers of translucent green enamel are applied.
This isn't the first time Jaeger-LeCoultre has reproduced work by this Japanese artist, whose print "the Great Wave off Kanagawa" is one of the world's most famous works of art.
The artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to acquaint fans of watchmaking with another of the artist's series: works from the eight-piece series of ukiyo-e prints "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces". This "tour" of landscapes on the island of Honshu began with the Reverso Tribute model in 2021, depicting the Waterfall at Kirifuri.
It was followed by the Amida Falls in 2022. Two new scenes have been added to the watch series with novelties for 2023. Both have been released as limited editions of 10 pieces in white-gold cases with manually wound caliber 822 movements inside.