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Where watchmaking meets storytelling, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Enamel series transforms miniature art into timeless elegance. Honouring Persian heritage through grand feu enamel and hand-engraving, each piece is a tribute to craftsmanship at its peak. The Reverso becomes more than a timepiece; it’s a canvas of legends, horses, and history.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Enamel timepieces are a testament to the Swiss watchmaker’s mastery of haute horlogerie and artisanal craftsmanship. These watches combine the iconic Art Deco-inspired Reverso timepiece with the stunning beauty of hand-enameling, which also often includes finely executed hand engravings.

These enamel paintings and hand engravings are usually located on the back of the case of the Reverso, with the front side telling the time. The grand feu enamel techniques usually require multiple firings at extremely high temperatures, with each timepiece taking numerous weeks to complete, highlighting Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedication to preserving rare métiers d’art.

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Now, for Watches & Wonders 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre is presenting a series of four new Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces that celebrate the origins of the Reverso in the sport of polo, capture the power and beauty of the horse, and pay homage to one of the world’s greatest works of literature and art – the Persian epic poem, Shahnameh.

The case back of each Reverso Tribute timepiece pays tribute to the artisanal work of miniature painting, which originated in Persia, with each model bearing a reproduction of an illustration from the edition of Shahnameh that was dedicated to Shah Tahmasp, created in the 16th century.

This new Reverso Tribute collection combines four traditional crafts: miniature enamel painting, paillonnage, grand feu enamel and guillochage, reaffirming the skill and talents gathered together in La Grande Maison’s in-house Métiers Rares™ atelier in the Vallée de Joux.

One of the main challenges faced by Jaeger-LeCoultre and the artisans was decorating the caseback with these images required miniturising of the original artworks, which measured 48 x 32cm. These pictures were drawn with the finest lines, and packed with many details, which would then have to be reproduced onto a surface of 2cm². All the while, the essence of the artwork still had to be captured, the rich colours, the drama of stories. You can begin to imagine the mammoth task these artisans were faced with.

Each of the four models comes with a front dial that has been beautifully executed, where grand feu enamel is applied over a hand-guilloché base executed on a 100-year-old hand-operated lathe, which Jaeger-LeCoultre states is “an evocative artistic response to the miniature paintings on the casebacks.”

The images chosen to be depicted on the case backs of the Reverso Tribute timepeices are four extraordinary images that are complemented by the colourful front dials. The Persian poem Shahnameh devices the Persian history into three main cycles: myth, legends and history. The four paintings chosen by Jaeger-LeCoultre come from the legends cycle, with horses being represented strongly as they are not only an integral part of Persian culture, but also the iconic Reverso.

Siyavush Plays Polo Before Afrasiyab (Metropolitan Museum New York)

Illustrated Folio No.180, attributed to Qasim ibn ‘Ali, painted circa 1525-30

As the title of the painting suggests, it is focused on the game of polo, the sport that ties the Reverso and Persian culture together. The painting highlights the significant status of the game at the Safavid court during the time it was created. In the second cycle of Shahnameh it is stated that two legendary Persian provinces were fierce rivals.

The Turanian King, Afrasiyab, then proposes a game of polo, which Siyavush boldly accepts and ultimately wins. Reflecting the vibrant blue of the sky depicted in the painting, the dial of this model is adorned with vivid blue grand feu enamel applied over a guilloché sunray pattern, featuring 120 lines and crafted through 7 hours of meticulous work in addition to 8 hours for the enamelling.

Faridun In The Guise Of A Dragon Tests His Sons (Aga Khan Museum, Toronto)

Illustrated Folio No.42, attributed to Aqa Mirak, painted circa 1525-35

This painting depicts the story of Ferdowsi’s poem, where the Persian King Faridun transformed himself into an azhdaha, a mythical dragon, to gauge the characters of his three sons secretly. When confronted with the fire-breathing monster, the first one fled, the second prepared to fight, and the third remained calm, demonstrating the wisdom and bravery needed to rule. The dial of this watch is adorned with an intricate herringbone guilloché pattern, consisting of 120 lines and requiring 7 hours of meticulous craftsmanship.

Saam Comes To Mount Alburz (Museum Fur Islamische Kunst, Berlin)

Illustrated Folio No.63, attributed to an unknown artist and supposedly commissioned by Sultan Muhammad, painted circa 1535

For the third Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Shahnameh’ timepiece, Jaeger-LeCoultre has used the story of Saam, a revered warrior who abandoned his newborn son Zal on Mount Alburz, due to the newborn’s white hair being considered a sign of demonic possession. Years later, filled with much regret, Saam ascended Mount Alburz to seek forgiveness and reclaim his son.

Echoing the various shades of green in the painting, the watch dial is adorned with a wavy guilloché pattern, comprising 32 precise lines. This intricate design lies beneath a translucent green grand feu enamel, crafted with 7 hours of meticulous workmanship.

Rustam Pursues Akvan, The Onager-Div (Aga Khan Museum, Toronto)

Illustrated Folio 294, attributed to Muzaffar ‘Ali’, painted circa 1530-35

The last timepiece in this Reverso Tribute Enamel collection is about the most celebrated champion of Persian folklore, Rustam. A Shah called upon Rustam to slay an onager (wild ass) that was threatening his horses. Rustam, the son of Zal and great-grandson of Saam, continues the lineage of heroic figures in Persian mythology, linking his feats to those of his forebears. In the painting, Rustam prepares to lasso the onager, which reveals itself to be a demon.

Complementing the vibrant hues of the vegetation in the painting, the dial of this model is decorated with rich green grand feu enamel applied over an intricate guilloché lozenge pattern, featuring 980 lines and requiring 7 hours of meticulous craftsmanship.