Supporting the creativity and genius of artists in all fields has always been an objective for Jaeger-LeCoultre whose proud tradition of inventiveness is rooted in its own exceptional creativity and heritage. This is not the first time that Jaeger-LeCoultre – a unique Manufacture with over 180 years of outstanding artistic expertise in its own right – has used its enamelling talents to pay tribute to artists on the Reverso, one of the rare watches perfectly suited to showcasing a “masterpiece” on the dial or case-back. In this instance, Jaeger-LeCoultre and its Boutique partner, Gassan, are extremely proud to unveil the Reverso à Eclipse – Van Gogh Sunflowers limited edition, a tribute to Vincent van Gogh.

The idea for this unique watch came as a result of collaboration between Jaeger-LeCoultre and its Dutch partner Gassan that wished to create a remarkable piece that had to combine three components: craftsmanship, art and heritage as a tribute to the world famous Dutch master Vincent van Gogh.

These 3 components came together in the Reverso à Eclipse of Jaeger-LeCoultre where the enamellers created an exquisite piece of art on the dial. The painting of Van Gogh’s infamous Sunflowers appears as a hidden treasure beneath the dial when the shutters are opened. 

A unique reversible watch featuring a pink gold case equipped with the in-house Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 849, the Reverso à Eclipse ideally lends itself to reviving one of the rarest fine art traditions – miniature enamel painting – that demands particular virtuosity and patience. A simple gesture is enough to open the watch dial shutters concealing an exquisite miniature reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

This unique masterpiece, of which only five examples have been crafted, was achieved in conjunction the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The finished pieces can be admired at the Van Gogh Museum from September 4^th 2015, when the new entrance building is officially inaugurated.

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

Famous for his Post-Impressionistic works and the huge influence he exercised on 20th century art, Vincent van Gogh produced a stunning array of works include portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, still lifes and sunflowers. During his short life, of which many years were spent in France, he painted more than 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolours, drawings, sketches and prints. Van Gogh has been an immense inspiration to many painters and other artists since the day he died.

Painted in Arles in 1889, Sunflowers was designed to impress Van Gogh’s fellow painter and good friend Paul Gauguin. By the end of the sunflower season that year, Van Gogh had completed four still lifes of sunflowers. In these canvases, the bouquets became steadily larger, eventually metamorphosing from the artist’s original choice of dominant blue and yellow colours into ‘the three chrome yellows, yellow ochre, Veronese green and nothing else’. In this way, he demonstrated that it was possible to create an image with numerous variations of a single colour, without any sacrifice of eloquence or form. It was to become one of his most famous works.

The art of enamelling

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.

Gassan 

Gassan Diamonds’s headquarters are based in a beautifully renovated diamond factory built in 1879, which was originally steam-powered. More than 400,000 visitors took the factory tour to admire the beautiful building in 2013. In that year, the Stichting Familie Onderneming (Dutch Family Business Foundation) in collaboration with KPMG elected Gassan Best Dutch Family Business. The company still focuses primarily on diamond cutting, mounted and loose diamond wholesale and retail, and gold jewelry and watches. Gassan has several points of sale in the Netherlands, including its head office Gassan Diamonds and Gassan Dam Square, the country’s biggest jewelry shop. Gassan Schiphol is one of the biggest concessionaries at Schiphol Airport, with several points of sale after customs and one shop in Schiphol Plaza, the airport’s shopping center. Gassan also presents its collections in several shops at Changi Airport Singapore. In addition the company runs after sales offices in Antwerp (Belgium), Tokyo (Japan), Beijing (China), Bogor (Indonesia), and New York (VS).