PUSHING FURTHER THE BOUNDARIES OF CLASSICAL ARTS
The Made of Makers™ programme draws a parallel between the worlds of horology and art, fostering collaborations with artists, designers, and craftsmen from disciplines outside watchmaking, who share the Maison’s values of creativity, expertise, and precision. The programme challenges the perception of classical arts as static or bound to the past, instead emphasising their continuous reinvention and honouring them as a leading source of creativity today. Just as today’s classics were once seen as radical at their inception, the Made of Makers™ programme explores how traditional forms and techniques can be reinvented through new materials and media, offering a fresh perspective on the dialogue between past and present. Like the watchmakers of La Grande Maison, these artists respect tradition as a foundation for creativity, while pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons, highlighting how both watchmaking and classical art express human creativity, reflect the culture of an era and trigger emotions. To date, the Made of Makers™ community has embraced the worlds of contemporary visual art, gastronomy, music and perfumery
– with artists including Zimoun (Switzerland), Michael Murphy (USA), Guillaume Marmin (France), lettering artist Alex Trochut (Spain/USA), pastry chef Nina Métayer (France), mixologist Matthias Giroud (France), digital media artist Yiyun Kang (Korea), musician TØKIO M¥ERS (UK), multi-media artist Brendi Wedinger (USA), Chef Himanshu Saini (India), street light-painter Roy Wang (China), perfumer Nicolas Bonneville (France), designer Khalid Shafar (UAE), chef-chocolatier Mathieu Davoine (France/Switzerland) and animation film director Jackie Wang (China). This new collaboration with Olivecoat (Philippines) adds the art of webcomic design to the Made of Makers™ portfolio.
KEY FACTS:
Reinventing the 9th Art: breathing new life into comics by transforming traditional storytelling into immersive webcomic design
Olivecoat: showcasing an exclusive collaboration with a rising Filipino webcomic designer, known for blending imaginative narratives, tender character interactions, and self-aware
- Reverso: reimagining a classic Western tale of Jaeger-LeCoultre heritage through an Eastern lens, creating an archive-inspired watchmaking webcomic
Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils the latest collaboration under its Made of Makers™ programme: a retelling of the origin story of the Reverso by The Webcomic Designer Olivecoat.
REINVENTING THE 9 TH ART
While comic strips are widely assumed to be a modern pop-culture phenomenon – originating in the mid-20th century with Francophone bandes dessinées, American superheroes and Japanese manga – the art of narrating stories through sequences of images can be traced back to prehistoric cave paintings, relief sculptures on Roman monuments and medieval illustrated manuscripts. The acknowledged father of modern comic strips is Rodolphe Töpfer, a Swiss schoolteacher, author and caricaturist, who in the mid-19th century published sequences of sketches in boxes with the first use of speech balloons and onomatopoeia (invented words that represent sounds, such as Bam!). In 1964, the French critic Claude Beylie coined the term “9th Art” (neuvième art) to place comics within the canon of the fine arts. This cultural recognition was later affirmed when the Louvre Museum dedicated an exhibition to “The 9th Art” in 2009.
Today, webcomics (also called webtoons, after the name of the leading hosting platform) are reinterpreting the art through digital screens, with serialised, vertical-scrolling comics optimised for mobile devices
THE WEBCOMIC DESIGNER
Based in Cebu, Philippines, The Webcomic Designer Olivecoat blends classical comic codes, such as hand-drawing, symbolism and storytelling, with contemporary digital collage and experimental visuals. As a rising talent in the webcomic world, Olivecoat stands out for her blend of imaginative narratives, tender character interactions, and self-aware humour, paired with a distinctive pastel palette and carefully crafted panels.
For Olivecoat, storytelling transcends craft – it is a means to connect, reflect, and reveal subtle human truths. Her work is deeply rooted in authentic character dynamics, inspired by stories where characters feel like real people. “I love watching shows where the character dynamics feel fleshed out, like real humans rather than characters on a page, and I think that’s what drives me,” she explains. “I’m always reading feedback about how I connect with readers and make them feel seen through narratives in my work. Comments like: ‘Oh, I didn’t think this was a universal experience, but it touched me deeply.’ That really motivates me as a creator.”Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils the latest collaboration under its Made of Makers™ programme: a retelling of the origin story of the Reverso by The Webcomic Designer Olivecoat.
A TIMELESS ICON TOLD THROUGH A NEW LENS
Bringing together heritage, innovation, and artistic fusion, the Reverso webcomic commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre to Olivecoat aims to offer a fresh perspective on one of the Maison’s most iconic timepieces. Through the lens of contemporary visual storytelling, this digital project captures the essence of the Reverso’s creation while engaging new audiences across cultures and platforms.
AN EASTERN TAKE ON A WESTERN TALE: With a graphic style influenced by Eastern visual traditions such as manga, the Reverso story is reinterpreted through a fresh visual language. This East-meets-West approach creates a dynamic dialogue between two cultures, two aesthetics, and two storytelling tempos.
AN ARCHIVE-INSPIRED FICTIONAL NARRATIVE: Drawing from the rich historical legacy of the Reverso, the webcomic dramatises its origin story – transforming archival facts into a compelling fictional narrative that invites broader audiences into the world of fine watchmaking.
A WATCHMAKING WEBCOMIC: As a serialised, vertical-scrolling comic tailored for mobile platforms, the project brings the craftsmanship of watchmaking into the realm of digital-native storytelling – reviving the classical codes of the 9th Art in a modern format
Through this innovative blend of narrative, visual culture, and digital media, the Reverso webcomic celebrates the legacy of a watchmaking icon while speaking to a new generation of readers – one scroll at a time.
THE MAKINGS OF A GREAT STORY
Created by Olivecoat for Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Reverso webcomic exemplifies the essence of compelling storytelling, elegantly echoing the classical unities of time, place, and action.
A SENSE OF PLACE: The narrative seamlessly transports audiences to two defining locations: the polo fields of India, where the watch’s innovative reversible case was inspired, and the renowned workshops of Le Sentier, where craftsmanship and precision bring the vision to life.
DEFINING CHARACTERS: Anchored by compelling characters – César de Trey, the visionary entrepreneur, and Jacques-David LeCoultre, the master watchmaker – the webcomic tells a timeless tale of creativity, collaboration, and enduring legacy.
A MOMENT IN TIME: Set against the vibrant backdrop of the roaring twenties and the landmark year 1931 – the birth of the Reverso watch – it captures a pivotal moment in history.
This fusion of icon, narrative, and heritage creates a storytelling experience that honors both the art of comics and the spirit of the Reverso.
