For this unique occasion, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Maison De Greef are extremely proud to unveil the Reverso in tribute to René Magritte, featuring a lacquered engraving of one of his most famous paintings The Treachery of Images on its case-back. In it the artist depicted a pipe with almost photographic detail under which he wrote the sentence 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (This is not a pipe).

The great work of this Belgian surrealistic painter will be honoured in three different series of watches, each with its own distinctive characteristics. The first series of Reverso special editions is adorned with Magritte’s The Treachery of Images. The painting of Magritte appears like a hidden treasure on the ‘other’ side, revealed when the case-back of the watch is swivelled around to the front. The original canvas was painted in 1929 during one of the artist’s most creative periods in Paris and is currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This unique homage to René Magritte is realised in close collaboration with Charly Herscovici and the Magritte Foundation*.

For this first series, Jaeger-LeCoultre and De Greef are introducing a white gold watch in a 5-piece edition, and a steel model in a 15-piece edition. Both feature references to the original Reverso presented in 1931. The white gold timepiece is the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 with a silver-toned dial displaying hours, minutes and small seconds; while the steel model is the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 with a black dial showing the hours and minutes. Both are unique reversible watches equipped with the in-house Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822. The first series of pieces can be admired exclusively at Maison De Greef, while the second and third series will be introduced over the coming years.

Several years ago, during one of his many visits to De Greef, a connoisseur with a passion for art and watches began discussing with the company’s Watches & Jewelry Director Jacques Wittmann the idea of paying homage to the world-famous Belgian master René Magritte. Not only his recognition of his great works, but also because 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Three essential elements were to be combined in creating a unique watch as a tribute to Magritte: craftsmanship, art and heritage. All three are admirably embodied in this first tribute to Magritte, for which the Jaeger-LeCoultre specialists have created an exquisite piece of art on the case-back of the Reverso watch.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reputation as a master of inventive watchmaking dates back more than 180 years, and time-honoured decorative arts are among the most precious crafts faithfully preserved by the Grande Maison. Passion, expertise and imagination guide the artisans’ every action, accurate to the nearest hundredth of a millimetre.

René Magritte (1898 - 1967)

Over ninety years ago, a young Belgian by the name of René Magritte painted his first surrealist paintings. Nothing hinted at the success he would experience around ten years later, which still continues today. Magritte has had such a great influence because of the power and effectiveness of his images. His compositions have become icons of popular culture, and they lead us to a mysterious world on the dividing line between dream and reality. Magritte in fact believed that a successful work of art is one that resists all explanation. The titles of his paintings, often chosen with his friends, give us no clue to understanding the piece and leave us even more confused.

In 1927 Magritte left Brussels to live in Paris with his wife Georgette, where he had the opportunity to mix with the French surrealists. The three years spent in Paris were among the most important and productive in Magritte's career. He painted more than hundred pieces, among which one of his most famous works, The Treachery of Images (1929). This word painting is part of a much wider approach that Magritte explains in his text 'Les Mots et les Images' (Words and Images), published in 1929 in the Parisian magazine La Révolution Surréaliste. This very important text would have a major impact on 20th century art. In it the painter provides instructions on how to understand the series of word paintings he created in Paris between 1927 and 1930.

Using eighteen aphorisms, Magritte reveals the arbitrary link between an object and its name, the difference between reality and its representation, and his distrust of the communicational role attributed to language. The Treachery of Images is a masterly demonstration of these intentions. The careful rendering of the details – as if it were a real pipe – and the schoolchild's handwriting that aims to make each word as legible as possible, participate in this demonstration. Almost over fifty years after his death, Magritte still fuels the imagination of young and old, and maintains his position as an iconic painter.

Maison De Greef

Tradition, excellence, exclusivity, advice and exceptional service. These are the highlights of the Brussels brand De Greef, the oldest jeweller and watchmaker in Belgium, still managed by the same family, and whose success has continued for over 168 years.

In 1848, Prosper De Greef, the patriarch, opened his shop at 24, Rue au Beurre, a stone’s throw away from the famous Grand-Place in Brussels. The young brand’s success quickly became international and the beautiful boutique attracted a large cosmopolitan clientele. The exclusive character of its jewellery and timepieces, the constant search for perfection and the family welcome meant that De Greef became renowned in high places in Belgium and abroad. Twenty years ago, a new period of prosperity began for the jeweller and watchmaker, when it was awarded the coveted title of 'Fournisseur breveté de la cour de Belgique' (Certified supplier of the Court of Belgium).

Today, it is the 6th and 7th generation who expertly manage the destiny of this prestigious business. Almost two hundred years after it was founded, Maison De Greef continues its brilliant career by combining the spirit of tradition with the imperatives of modernization and expansion. But there is no question of leaving the historic centre of Brussels to which which the Wittmann family has been strongly attached for seven generations, including because customers feel so at ease in this delightful shop with its wood, copper and glass panelling, overlooked by a huge and impressive chandelier made of Murano glass.

* Notification of the copyright: René Magritte © Sabam Bruxelles 2016.