The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Snake’ is a masterpiece celebrating the 2025 Chinese New Year, blending unparalleled craftsmanship in enamelling and engraving with horological artistry. Here’s a detailed breakdown of its features and design elements:
Artistic Excellence
A Canvas for Creativity
The Reverso’s signature swiveling case, originally designed in 1931 to protect the dial during polo matches, now serves as a unique medium for artistic expression. This timepiece expands on the tradition by featuring a meticulously hand-engraved snake motif.
The Snake Motif
Hand-engraved into pink gold (750/1000), the snake is depicted emerging from clouds crafted with sandblasted textures and golden highlights. The scales of the snake are further detailed with black rhodium, enhancing their reflective quality and creating an illusion of movement. This work demands exceptional precision as the engraving is done on a pre-enamelled surface, a highly challenging process requiring 80 hours of intricate craftsmanship.
Grand Feu Enamel
The reverse and the dial are adorned with black Grand Feu enamel, a technique that layers multiple firings to achieve unparalleled depth and richness. Each surface undergoes approximately 24 hours of work, including polishing, to attain a flawless shine and consistency, showcasing the expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house enamellers.
Technical and Design Features
Dimensions and Construction
- Case: Pink gold (750/1000)
- Dimensions: 45.5 mm x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm
- Water Resistance: 3 bar
Movement
- Calibre: Manually wound Calibre 822
- Functions: Hours and minutes
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
Dial
- Enamel-coated black dial with applied indexes and an Art Deco-inspired chemin de fer minutes track.
- The elegance is heightened by faceted hour markers and Dauphine hands.
Strap
- Fitted with a black alligator strap, complementing the case’s rich tones and enamel surfaces.
Cultural and Artistic Inspiration
The watch is part of a series paying homage to the Chinese Zodiac, following earlier editions dedicated to the Tiger and Dragon. The snake, symbolizing longevity, wisdom, and mystery, makes this timepiece a profound representation of both Chinese tradition and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s artistic legacy.
Production
The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Snake’ is limited and made to order, underscoring its exclusivity and collectable appeal.
This exceptional watch exemplifies Jaeger-LeCoultre’s vision of uniting cultural artistry with technical mastery, offering a wearable masterpiece for connoisseurs of fine watchmaking.
