Hokusai – the obvious choice for Jaeger-LeCoultre

Text: Andreas Johansson

This year Jaeger-LeCoultre released two new watches in their Hokusai series. Why has the choice fallen on a Japanese artist who was born over 260 years ago? In this article we not only take a closer look at the new models, we also sort out why Hokusai influences European watch design even today. 

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849)

Hokusai began devoting himself to art already at an early age. His artistic craft was multifaceted, but it is above all his work within woodcarving print (Ukiyo-e) that has made his life's work known the world over. I think few people in the world have missed his work, the Great Wave off Kanagawa which is part of his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The great wave is depicted on a countless number of things including watches and is one of the world's most famous works of art. Hokusai was himself inspired by the Japanese landscape, Japanese and Chinese traditions, mythological figures, nature, Asian culture and erotica. His works of art were published in media, books, paintings and posters, which meant that he got a broad audience.  

When Hokusai died he had several disciples who carried on working with the ideas they had got from their master, but for several years Hokusai's name was forgotten among the general public in Japan. However, Hokusai got his renaissance fairly promptly, but then in Europe, more precisely in France. Hokusai's popularity is linked to impressionism which blossomed in the middle of the 1800s in Europe. Hokusai's works are said to have influenced artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

In 1883 the art historian Louis Gonse published the book Art Japonais and in it Hokusai's art was celebrated. After this more books came dedicated to Japan and Hokusai. The European fascination with Japan at this point in time coincides with it being at the same time as Japan opened up its country to the rest of the world, in 1868, after having been closed for about 260 years. That the Japanese artist was celebrated by the intellectual elite of the time meant that he became immeasurably popular among the general public too. That in combination with Hokusai having been immeasurably productive during his life's work meant that there was a lot of art to discover for the artists and the general public in Europe during the decades that came.

Hokusai's influence is broadly noticeable in today's society, he has at times been called the most influential artist from Asia of all time. It shows in several things in today's society, among other things the so popular Japanese tattoos are inspired by Hokusai's woodcut art, but clothing brands and music have also been inspired by his art.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Hokusai series

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso has been made since 1931 and has since then come in several special editions been released (read more about the Reverso model here). JLC has previously released several watches as a tribute to Hokusai, in 2018 they released a Reverso where the Great Wave off Kanagawa was on the back, in 2021 one depicting the waterfall at Kirifuri, followed by the Amida Falls in 2022. The two new Hokusai Reverso models are released in only 10 examples each. The models' cases are made of white gold and are decorated with hand-painted miniature enamel paintings. The motifs chosen from Hokusai's collection are ”The Waterfall at Ono on the Kisokaido” (Kisokaidō Ono no bakufu) and The Waterfall where Yoshitsune washed his horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province (Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki). Both motifs are from Hokusai's above mentioned woodcarving period.

The watches' motifs are painted by JLC's workshop, Métiers Rares. The technique of enamel painting has a long history in Europe and can be dated back to at least 500 years before our era. The link between enamel painting and watchmaking is clear in early horology. But it is only JLC that keeps the tradition alive today. The technique is extremely advanced and contains several different steps, among other things a firing of the enamel at temperatures over 800 degrees. Getting the miniature paintings to resemble Hokusai's originals has required extremely meticulous work. JLC writes on its website that it the watches' painting has taken up to 80 hours to complete. 

The incredible handwork contains among other things a pattern with 800 rows of painting and several layers of coloured enamel. JLC's workshop, which is dedicated to crafts such as decoration, like micro painting, has besides enamelling a purpose of developing new techniques to find new ways forward in its design. The watch is manual and has JLC's in-house movement, caliber 822, it has a power reserve of 42 hours. The watch measures 45.6 mm in height, 27.4 mm in width and is a mere 9.73 mm in its height, it comes with a black alligator strap and the price is just over a million. 

Jaeger LeCoultre is not the only watch brand that released a watch with motifs from Hokusai in 2023, Swatch also released a Hokusai-inspired watch in their ”Swatch Art Journey 2023”. But historically neither Swatch nor Jaeger-LeCoultre are unique, at a quick overview of Hokusai inspired dials we find a whole well-known brands such as Timex, Jean Richard and Credor that have also used the Japanese artist in their design. Hokusai's depictions are also found in a row of ”dime-a-dozen watches” and straps that can be found on amazon and similar platforms. It is unclear whether these were the last watches JLC makes in dedication to Hokusai, but be assured, the watch industry will in the future return to Hokusai's art in its desgin shaping.