Enamel collection 2009
Jaeger-LeCoultre, the undisputed master of enamel, celebrates the union of fine watchmaking
and absolute artistic refinement

The oldest and most delicate of the decorative arts no longer hold any secrets for the Grande
Maison in the Vallée de Joux. Enamelling, engraving and gem-setting are a set of virtuoso crafts that
it associates at will in its horological and artistic creations. A splendid embodiment of the love of
fine details that has always characterised Jaeger-LeCoultre, the art of miniature enamel painting
dedicates its absolute beauty to highlighting the watchmaking feats of the Manufacture – one of the
rare brands to enhance its wristwatches with the full range of traditional fine watchmaking
embellishments.
In 2009, the artists of the Manufacture, who cultivate very special ties with this exquisitely refined
ornamental technique, wished to present a full-fledged anthology of their talent by offering two
exceptional series illustrating two traditional enamel techniques – grand feu and champlevé
enamelling – on two famous timepieces in the Jaeger-LeCoultre collection: the Master Minute
Repeater and the Master Grand Tourbillon.

The goddess of love, the muse of the Master Minute Repeater
In order to provide a particularly ‘striking’ demonstration of its expertise, the Manufacture has
chosen to treat the dial of the Master Minute Repeater to a stunning interpretation in the form of
enamelled miniatures of four famous historical paintings depicting Venus, the goddess of love.
These works stem from a variety of sources of inspiration encompassing the Italian Renaissance, the
Spanish school of art and French classicism, as embodied by the famous examples selected by the
master-enamellers of the Manufacture:
‘The Birth of Venus’ by Botticelli; ‘The Venus of Urbino’ by Titian; the ‘Rokeby Venus’ by Velasquez
and ‘Venus Anadyomène’ by Ingres.
Above and beyond their extraordinary expressive strength, these masterpieces adapt themselves
superbly to the diminutive size of the dial on the Master Minute Repeater. The creative talents of
the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux have chosen to associate the testimony of their
admiration for these great painters with the crystal-clear sound of the Master Minute Repeater,
featuring a sonorous opulence and flawless purity that represent a major breakthrough in the
audible indication of time. Nonetheless, in order to preserve the authentic horological nature of
these exceptional artistic accomplishments, the four unique watches dedicated to the great names
in the universal painting heritage do not merely show the hours and minutes. They are also
distinguished by the presence of two additional indications appearing on the dial in a manner that is
both ideally legible and perfectly discreet: the torque released by the two barrels is shown at 4
o’clock, and the power reserve at 8 o’clock.