In its purest form, art is a bridge between human emotion and craftsmanship, transcending time, geography, language and culture. Across centuries, as far back as archives could document, artists have tried to capture not just what the eye sees, but what the soul feels.
In a convergence of the East and West, where ideas and visions meld into one, Xu Beihong’s works bring this pursuit to life. Widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Chinese art, incorporated Western ideologies and techniques into his works to revitalise the ailing and stagnating traditional Chinese techniques.
During his education stint at Paris’ École des Beaux-Arts and European travels between 1919 and 1927, Xu embraced realism and oil painting in his works. Xu’s brushwork felt alive with vitality and movement, capturing the essence of Chinese culture and symbolism in his works. His accurate depictions of horses, amongst other bestiary, became one of his better-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 fitting tribute to the visionnaire that Xu is and his horses, which symbolise courage, strength, integrity, loyalty, grace, and power. The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ unites fine art and haute horlogerie in the most fitting of canvases, Jaeger-LeCoultre has to offer. Across Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery in the rarefied arts within its Métiers Rares division, enamel miniature painting, grand feu enamelling, and guillochage were the chosen techniques to bring Xu’s works on the Reverso to life.
Xu’s trilogy of “The Running Horse”, “Two Horses”, and “The Standing Horse” were chosen for this ultra-limited rendition with 10 pieces produced based on each artwork. On the dial side, each features a distinct hand-guilloché pattern finished with grand feu enamel, while Xu’s artwork is reproduced on the rear plate in enamel miniature painting.
“The Running Horse” sees a single galloping horse revered for its majesty and grace adorn the white gold rear plate. On the dial side, the hand-guilloché sunray pattern takes the colours of Evergreen Pine Green, which symbolises the enduring vitality and noble resilience of ancient pines 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-guilloché barley-seed pattern, replete with Distant Mountain Blue, is reminiscent of the timelessness of misty silhouettes in mountainous regions.
The final “The Standing Horse” piece exudes the nobility and latent power of the horse; even in stillness, its commanding composition and bold brushstrokes radiate a sense of movement. A similar feeling is captured on the dial side, with the hand-guilloché herringbone pattern rendered in Crimson Dawn Orange, emanating the sunrise’s warmth and vitality.
Powered by the manually wound Manufacture Calibre 822, the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ series is a fitting homage to the origins of the Reverso, a revered artist, and the upcoming Lunar New Year. Fusing fine watchmaking with decorative arts, these three timepieces are offered in limited editions of 10 pieces each.
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