Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest Métiers Rares creation, the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Horse’, takes the Art Deco icon back to two of its spiritual homes. The first is the polo field, where the 1931 Reverso and its swivelling case were born. The second is the Chinese Zodiac, which the brand has been celebrating in a series that has already nodded to the Tiger, Dragon and Snake. This new piece marks the 2026 Lunar New Year and will be shown ahead of time in Shanghai at the Dream Shaper exhibition in September 2025. Only 10 will be made.
In hand, the watch is classic Tribute Reverso in proportion and presence. The pink gold case measures 45.6 mm by 27.4 mm and is 9.73 mm thick, a familiar rectangle that frames a glossy, black Opaque grand feu enamel dial. The layout is purposefully restrained, with faceted appliqué hour markers, a chemin de fer minutes track and Dauphine hands letting the enamel do the talking. The same enamel returns on the reverse, where the case becomes a canvas for a leaping horse that appears to emerge from golden clouds.
The horse is not simply engraved, it is modelled. Using 10 differently sized chisels, a master engraver sculpted the form step by step for 80 hours, working directly into metal that had already been coated with grand feu enamel. That inversion of the usual sequence is a high-wire act. Damage the flawless enamel and you start over. It pays off in depth and texture. Polished highlights catch the light, sand-blasted clouds suggest movement and hand-drawn details in black rhodium on the mane, muzzle and hooves give the animal a lifelike presence.
Black enamel is notoriously unforgiving. Achieving the deep, even tone here required five to six successive layers, each fired and cooled, followed by half a day of polishing to reach a uniform gloss. Matching dial and caseback so precisely is a quiet flex from a Manufacture that remains one of very few with in-house enamelling and engraving under one roof in the Vallée de Joux.
Behind the art is a movement that understands the assignment. The manually wound Calibre 822 powers hours and minutes with a 42 hour reserve, designed and produced entirely in-house. The case retains the Reverso’s original protective swing, a reminder that the watch was first conceived for riders who needed to shield a dial during play. Water resistance is rated to 3 bar, appropriate for a dress piece. The strap is black alligator with an interchangeable folding buckle.
Within the brand’s portfolio, this is the Reverso as miniature gallery. Jaeger-LeCoultre has long used the rectangular caseback as a stage for craft, and the ‘Horse’ sits squarely in that tradition. It also speaks to the broader industry’s fascination with cultural storytelling, though here the narrative feels earned. The horse is a symbol of power, beauty, freedom, vitality and speed in Chinese art, and the Reverso’s equine origin story gives the theme a neat double reference.
With a run of only ten, the watch is aimed at a very small circle of collectors for whom craft is paramount. The reference is Q39324D3, the case is 18 carat pink gold, the water resistance 3 bar and the release year 2025. Some will find the focus on artisanal finish over complication a matter of taste, but that is the point. This is a timepiece where technique and cultural meaning share top billing.
The final impression is of quiet intensity. A black mirror of enamel on the front, a sculpted burst of motion on the back. The Reverso was built to flip. Here, every turn becomes an exhibition.
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