To commemorate the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, Jaeger-LeCoulte and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam have unveiled a limited edition ‘Reverso à Eclipse’ watch. Paying tribute to the 125th anniversary of the painter’s death – which is in 2015 – the exclusive watch features Van Gogh’s iconic sunflowers in the dial.
Painted in 1889, the original ‘Sunflowers’ painting dates back to the last chapter of Van Gogh’s life and is now available at the Van Gogh Museum. Known for his huge influence on the 20th century’s artworks, Van Gogh created the ‘Sunflowers’ to impress his fellow painter and good friend Paul Gauguin in 1889. That year by the end of the sunflowers’ season, Van Gogh has completed four artworks of this flower and demonstrated the possibility of creating an image with different variations of one color.
Always supporting creativity in all its fields, this is not the first time that JLC uses the enameling technique to honor an artist in the Reverso, a watch that is perfectly suited to display a work of art on its dial or case-back. As a result, Jaeger-LeCoultre and its Boutique partner Gassan, a Dutch family business known for diamond-cutting and gold jewelry, present the limited-edition ‘Reverso à Eclipse Van Gogh Sunflowers’ timepiece as a tribute to the painter.
This one-of-a-kind watch stems from a fruitful collaboration that aspired to create a piece that combines craftsmanship, art and heritage. The enamellers created a sophisticated piece of art on the dial. When the shutters open, Van Gogh’s famed ‘Sunflowers’ appears as a hidden treasure beneath the dial framed by a pink-gold case. Featuring the in-house Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 849, this timepiece brings back to life the miniature enamel painting that demands particular patience and expertise.
Achieved in conjunction with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, only five examples of this artful piece have been created and will be showcased at the museum from September 4th.
Mirella Haddad
