Jaeger-LeCoultre honours Chinese artist Xu Beihong with three exquisite Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year
Christmas has barely gotten a sniff in yet this year, and already Jaeger-LeCoultre cannot wait for the 2026 Lunar New Year of the Horse to come around. Or at least, that is what the Swiss watchmaking house is suggesting with its latest Reverso Tribute Enamel watches that pay homage to the visionary Chinese artist, Xu Beihong, featuring miniature reproductions of his horse paintings on the iconic reversible case.
The Year of the Horse, arriving in February 2026, is a fitting opportunity for Jaeger-LeCoultre to revisit one of its most enduring creations. The Reverso was originally created in 1931 for polo players who needed a watch that could survive the sport’s rough-and-tumble.
Nearly a century later, that sporting impetus — which led to the creation of a reversible case to protect the dial — has lent itself to becoming a canvas for artistic expressions. The Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ series captures the animal not as a utilitarian muse, but as a cultural and artistic bridge between East and West.
Each of the three white gold timepieces—The Running Horse, Two Horses, and The Standing Horse—is adorned with a miniature enamel painting inspired by Xu’s most evocative works. Best known for his powerful ink depictions of galloping steeds, Xu Beihong revolutionised Chinese art in the early 20th century by blending Western realism with traditional brushwork.
To translate those brushstrokes into enamel, artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares atelier have spent up to 80 hours on each caseback, fastidiously adding layers of colour and texture to evoke Xu’s movement and emotion. On the dial side, grand feu enamel overlays intricate guilloché patterns, their colours chosen for both visual harmony and symbolic meaning: Evergreen Pine Green for longevity, Distant Mountain Blue for serenity, and Crimson Dawn Orange for vitality and warmth.
Powering the collection is the manually wound Calibre 822, a discreet yet dependable movement with 42-hour power reserve. Limited to just 10 pieces per design, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ certainly channels the spirit of the horse itself—graceful, yet ever in motion—to get us all pumped for the coming months.
