In its purest form, art is a bridge between human emotions and craftsmanship, transcending time, geography, language and culture. Over the centuries, as far as archives can document, artists have attempted to capture not only what the eyes see, but also what the soul feels. In a convergence between East and West, where ideas and visions merge into one, Xu Beihong’s works bring this quest to life. Widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Chinese art, he incorporated Western ideologies and techniques into his works to revitalize weakened and stagnant traditional Chinese techniques. During his educational period at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and his travels in Europe between 1919 and 1927, Xu embraced realism and oil painting in his works. Xu’s brush strokes felt alive with vitality and movement, capturing the essence of Chinese culture and symbolism in his works. His precise representations of horses, among other bestiaries, became one of his best-known works, which coincided with the birth of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso through polo and horses.
As the Lunar Calendar heralds the Year of the Horse in 2026, Jaeger-LeCoultre pays tribute to the visionary that is Xu and his horses, which symbolize courage, strength, integrity, loyalty, grace and power. The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ unites fine art and fine watchmaking in the most appropriate canvas that Jaeger-LeCoultre has to offer. Through Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of rarefied arts within its Métiers Rares division, enamel miniature painting, grand feu enamelling and guillochage were the techniques chosen to bring Xu’s works to life on the Reverso.
Xu’s trilogy of “The Running Horse,” “Two Horses,” and “The Standing Horse” were chosen for this ultra-limited performance with 10 pieces produced based on each artwork. On the dial side, each features a distinctive hand-crafted guilloché pattern finished with grand feu enamel, while Xu’s artwork is reproduced on the backplate in a miniature enamel painting.
“The Running Horse” features a single galloping horse revered for its majesty and grace adorning the white gold backplate. On the dial side, the hand-guilloched sunburst pattern takes the colors of Evergreen Pine Green, which symbolizes the lasting vitality and noble resilience of ancient pine trees in Chinese art.
In a reinterpretation of Yin and Yang, “Two Horses” captures the dynamic energy between a black and white horse, evoking mutual affinity and energy. A hand-guilloched barley seed pattern, replete with Distant Mountain Blue, recalls the timelessness of misty silhouettes in mountainous regions.
The final piece “The Standing Horse” exudes the nobility and latent power of the horse; Even in stillness, his imposing composition and bold brushstrokes radiate a sense of movement. A similar feeling is captured on the dial side, with the hand-guilloched herringbone pattern in Crimson Dawn Orange, exuding the warmth and vibrancy of dawn.
Powered by the hand-wound Manufacture caliber 822, the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ series is a fitting tribute to the origins of the Reverso, a revered artist, and the upcoming Lunar New Year. These three watches fuse fine watchmaking with decorative arts and are offered in limited editions of 10 pieces each.
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