When Time Becomes Art: Olivecoat’s ‘Reverso Stories’ for Jaeger-LeCoultre in Dubai

At this year’s Dubai Design Week, Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled Reverso Stories, an immersive pop-up at Dubai Design District (d3) celebrating nine decades of its iconic watch through a conversation between craftsmanship, imagination, and contemporary art.

As part of its Made of Makers™ program, which bridges watchmaking and creative disciplines, the Maison collaborated with artists across the world, including Olivecoat, a self-taught webcomic artist from the island of Cebu in The Philippines whose digital narrative brought the Reverso’s origin to life in a way only she could. JDEED had a chat with the artist to know more.

“I’m a self-taught webcomic artist,” Olivecoat tells us. “I started out posting on Webtoon, which really pioneered the whole vertical scrolling format. Before that, I was an interior designer — but eventually I pivoted to creating webtoons full-time. When Jaeger-LeCoultre reached out last year, I honestly thought it was a scam,” she laughs. “I had never even seen one of their watches in real life — we don’t have a store on my island!”

After researching the Maison, Olivecoat quickly realized the magnitude of the collaboration. “A friend told me they’re one of the best watchmakers in the world, and when I saw the complexity of what they do, I was blown away. They brought me to Switzerland — the mountains, the atelier, the history… it’s all so beautiful. I realized that watchmaking, much like art, has evolved beyond function. People don’t need a watch to tell time anymore — they need it to tell a story.”

That idea — time as narrative — became the heartbeat of Olivecoat’s project. Her Reverso Webcomic reimagines the 1931 origins of the watch, blending historical accuracy with the emotional weight of invention. “They gave me a list of facts — the real events and figures like César de Trey and Jacques-David LeCoultre — but I told them I needed more characters. You can’t make a compelling comic with just two people,” she explains. “So they went back into their archives to find real historical figures I could bring in. Every character is real — but only the two central figures drive the story. The rest build the world around them.”

Her background in interior design became unexpectedly essential. “We studied art deco, architecture, and spatial composition — so when it came to recreating the 1930s manufacture, I asked for everything: old photographs, blueprints, any reference they had. They sent me so much material that I rebuilt the entire setting in 3D before illustrating it.” Her dedication extended to the India scenes, too: “We initially thought about having a party setting for the polo fields, but later simplified it. I wanted it to feel grounded — real. Many of these archival details aren’t even available online, so I had to work closely with the Jaeger-LeCoultre team to get it right.”

Technically, the project pushed her into new territory. “They needed the comic formatted in InDesign for translations and printing, which I had never used before. I had to ask a friend to help me, and I definitely learned a few new tricks.” The webcomic launched on October 17, later printed as a collector’s edition. “The online version is closest to how I imagined it — the colors are richer, more alive. Printing sometimes mutes that vibrancy, but it’s still special to hold it in your hands.”

At Reverso Stories, the experience extended beyond illustration and watchmaking. Visitors were invited into a fully immersive journey through Jaeger-LeCoultre’s world, complete with the 1931 Café, a pop-up pâtisserie created by award-winning chef Nina Métayer. Inspired by the elegance of the Reverso and the golden age of Art Deco, her pastries mirrored the Maison’s sense of craftsmanship — architectural, refined, and delicately layered. Between the smell of espresso, the gleam of enamel, and the swirl of vanilla cream, it was a multisensory dialogue between time and taste, art and precision.

Standing inside Reverso Stories in Dubai, Olivecoat seems quietly moved. “It’s my first time here, and I love it. The energy is calm but creative — it’s so inspiring,” she says. “This collaboration reminded me that both art and watchmaking are about memory. They’re about what remains after everything else moves on.”

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