Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils four new Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces celebrating the Reverso’s polo heritage, the beauty of horses, and the Persian epic Shahnameh.
Each caseback features a miniature enamel painting inspired by 16th-century illustrations from Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnameh, honouring Persia’s role in polo’s history. These masterpieces blend four traditional crafts—miniature enamel painting, paillonnage, grand feu enamel, and guillochage – showcasing the exceptional artistry of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares™ atelier.
The Reverso’s unique design, originally intended for polo, also became a canvas for personalisation, first through engraving and lacquer. Polo-playing soldiers in India adorned their watches with coats of arms and initials, later commissioning intricate Indian miniature paintings on the casebacks.
Jaeger-LeCoultre embraced this artistic challenge, refining enamelling techniques to fit the Reverso’s proportions. This craftsmanship is exemplified in two historic museum pieces: the Reverso ‘Indian Beauty’ (1936) and Reverso ‘Rama’(1949), which paved the way for today’s Reverso Tribute Enamel Shahnameh.
This latest collection honors the Persian origins of polo and the enduring art of miniature enamel painting. Inspired by the Shahnameh, the Persian Book of Kings written by Ferdowsi (977–1010), the timepieces celebrate one of the most exquisite editions of the epic – Shah Tahmasp’s 16th-century manuscript, whose illustrations are now dispersed in museums and private collections worldwide.
Persian miniature painting, which flourished from the 13th century and peaked in the 16th century with the Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh, inspired the enamel artworks on Reverso watches. Known for their bright colours, intricate details, and multi-layered compositions, these miniatures were adapted onto the Reverso’s casebacks, preserving their artistry in a wearable form.
The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Shahnameh’ series reinterprets this tradition through four expert crafts—miniature enamel painting, grand feu enamelling, paillonnage, and guillochage—showcasing the skill of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares™ atelier. The challenge lay in miniaturising large-scale artworks (48 x 32 cm) onto a 2 cm² surface while maintaining the mythical essence and vivid colours of the originals.
The paintings are further enhanced by paillonnage, where fine gold leaf is hand-cut and placed to replicate the luminous gold details of Persian miniatures. Each caseback requires 100 hours of meticulous work. On the front, the grand feu enamel dial is layered over a hand-guilloché base, crafted on a century-old lathe, harmonising the watch’s aesthetic with its exquisite enamel art.
The Shahnameh divides Persian history into three main cycles: myth, legends and history. The four paintings chosen for the Reverso Tribute Enamel series depict stories from the legends cycle and, in each, horses feature strongly – demonstrating their central importance in Persian culture.
SIYAVUSH PLAYS POLO BEFORE AFRASIYAB (METROPOLITAN MUSEUM NEW YORK)
Illustrated Folio No.180, attributed to Qasim ibn ‘Ali, painted circa 1525-30
Unusual in its explicit reference to polo, this painting highlights the significant status of the game at the Safavid court during the time it was created. In the second cycle of the Shahnameh, two legendary Persian provinces were fierce rivals. The Turanian king, Afrasiyab, proposed a game of polo, which Siyavush boldly accepted – and ultimately won. 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
In Ferdowsi’s poem, Persian King Faridun transformed himself into an azhdaha – a mythical dragon – to secretly gauge the characters of his three sons. 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 scene depicted in the painting symbolises the virtues of leadership and filial loyalty in Persian culture. The dial of this watch is adorned with an intricate herringbone guilloché pattern, consisting of 120 lines and requiring 7 hours of meticulous craftsmanship. This design lies beneath a layer of translucent grand feu enamel in a light blue hue, harmonising with the colour of the landscape depicted in the painting where the sons confront the dragon.
SAAM COMES TO MOUNT ALBURZ (MUSEUM FÜR ISLAMISCHE KUNST, BERLIN)
Illustrated Folio No.63, attributed to unknown artist and supposedly commissioned by Sultan Muhammad, painted circa 1535
Saam, a revered warrior, abandoned his newborn son Zal – whose white hair was considered a sign of demonic possession – on Mount Alburz. Simurgh, a mythical bird that lived at the mountain’s summit, raised the child with care and wisdom. Years later, filled with regret, Saam ascended Mount Alburz to seek forgiveness and reclaim his son. The scene of Zal’s reunion with Saam reflects the themes of forgiveness, divine intervention, and the bond between father and 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)
Illustrated Folio 294, attributed to Muzaffar ‘Ali’, painted circa 1530-35
Perhaps the most celebrated champion of Persian folklore, Rustam was called upon by a Shah 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 this painting, Rustam prepares to lasso the wild ass. As the lasso touches its neck, the onager vanishes, revealing its true identity to be Akvan, a Div (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.
The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Shahnameh’ is a noble tribute to a majestic work of art and literature, as well as to the origin-story of the Reverso. A superb marriage of fine watchmaking with the decorative crafts of guillochage, grand feu enamelling, paillonnage and miniature enamel painting, this series of four exceptional watches is offered in a limited edition of 10 pieces each.
Technical Specifications:
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL ‘SHAHNAMEH’ – Siyavush Plays Polo before Afrasiyab
Case: 18-karat white gold (750/1000)
Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick
Calibre: Manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Front dial: Sunrayed guilloché pattern, grand feu enamel
Caseback: Miniature-painted grand feu enamel, paillonnage
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Buckle: Interchangeable double-folding clasp
Reference: Q39334S1
Limited edition of 10 pieces
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL ‘SHAHNAMEH’ – Faridun Tests His Sons
Case: 18-karat white gold (750/1000)
Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick
Calibre: Manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Front dial: Herringbone guilloché, grand feu enamel
Caseback: Miniature-painted grand feu enamel, paillonnage
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Buckle: Interchangeable double-folding clasp
Reference: Q39334S2
Limited edition of 10 pieces
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL ‘SHAHNAMEH’ – Saam Comes to Mount Alburz
Case: 18-karat white gold (750/1000)
Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick
Calibre: Manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Front dial: Wavy guilloché, grand feu enamel
Caseback: Miniature-painted grand feu enamel, paillonnage
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Buckle: Interchangeable double-folding clasp
Reference: Q39334S3
Limited edition of 10 pieces
REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL ‘SHAHNAMEH’ – Rustam Pursues Akvan
Case: 18-karat white gold (750/1000)
Dimensions: 45.6 x 27.4 mm x 9.73 mm thick
Calibre: Manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Front dial: Lozenge guilloché pattern, grand feu enamel
Caseback: Miniature-painted grand feu enamel, paillonnage
Water resistance: 3 bar
Strap: Black alligator
Buckle: Interchangeable double-folding clasp
Reference: Q39334S4
Limited edition of 10 pieces
All prices upon application
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