Of all the Swiss watchmaking legends, Pierre Jaquet-Droz distinguished himself in the "Art of Astonishment" and his marvellous automata from the late 18th century.
Bird Repeater 300th Anniversary Edition pays homage to the birthplace of Pierre Jaquet-Droz in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with a replica of the farmhouse in the background, to the right.
Jaquet Droz celebrates the founder's 300th birthday anniversary with exceptional models that embody the heritage of the company based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in western Switzerland.
Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born there on a small farm on July 28, 1721. From the age of 17, he developed his prowess in clockmaking and enhanced his creations with music and automata.
The ingenious humanoid automata, The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician, were presented in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1774, followed by their showcase in European and Russian courts.
In the 1770s and 1780s, the company's exports to the Far East were particularly popular in China, whose clientele included the Qianlong Emperor and Mandarins at the Imperial Court. Several Jaquet Droz automata and pocket watches are still carefully preserved in the Imperial Palace museum in Beijing today.
The master horologer was passionate about nature and birds, transcribed through clocks, pocket watches and automata. The miniature automata were combined with a system of bellows and cylinder pistons that reproduced prodigious birdsong.
The signature Singing Birds were also featured in snuffboxes, urns and bird cages, besides timepieces.
From left: The case back of the Grande Seconde Moon is hand-engraved with ‘Pierre Jaquet-Droz, 300ème Anniversaire’; Based on the original design, Grande Seconde Moon with Roman and Arabic numerals and an ivory Grand Feu enamel dial.
Since 2012, Jaquet Droz has combined its decorative arts and automaton expertise for the contemporary Bird Repeater collection.
The founder's 300th birthday anniversary is marked by a special edition of the Bird Repeater, housed in a 47mm red gold case.
In white mother-of-pearl and black onyx, the elaborate dial features appliqués in red gold and a weave of intricate animations, completely engraved and painted by hand.
The foreground features two robins, one male and one female. Besides the multiple bird animations, eggs hatching and the river in the verdant valley bring life to the timepiece.
In the background, to the right, is a replica of the farmhouse in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born 300 years ago.
Details of the surrounding nature include a gentian flower, red berries, holly leaves and a blue butterfly as well as other animals hidden in the scene.
The dragonfly is a symbol of strength and fighting spirit while the grasshopper and its powerful leap represent Jaquet Droz advances in 21st century haute horlogerie while drawing on three centuries of heritage.
The Bird Repeater 300th Anniversary Edition is issued in eight pieces, following the brand's tradition in offering timepieces in 8, 28 or 88 pieces besides one-of-a-kind creations.
Contemporary Grande Seconde Moon with a matte black dial and red gold indexes. (Photos © Jaquet Droz)
The symbol of infinity and eternity, the figure 8 characterises the emblematic Grande Seconde model, inspired by a pocket watch with a white enamel dial from 1785.
The original idea was to provide the most accurate reading of the seconds -- hence the largely dimensioned and off-centred subdial with Arabic numerals at 6 o'clock, which embraced the hours and minutes subdial with Roman numerals at 12 o'clock.
The Grande Seconde wristwatch was launched in 2002, two years after Jaquet Droz was acquired by the Swatch Group.
The Maison celebrates the birth of its founder with two variations of the Grande Seconde Moon with a moon phase and a pointer-type date display at 6 o'clock.
Based on the original design, the first model boasts the signature ivory Grand Feu enamel dial with Roman numerals for the hours and minutes, and Arabic numerals for the seconds.
The second version is a contemporary redesign, whose matte black dial features red gold indexes instead of numerals. Likewise, the red gold star and moon appliqués shine against the matte black moon disc.
Both Grande Seconde Moon models are presented in a 41mm red gold case, with "Pierre Jaquet-Droz, 300ème Anniversaire" hand-engraved on the back.
The sapphire crystal reveals a Jaquet Droz self-winding movement equipped the Mechanism 135 which gives the moon phase unparalleled accuracy, requiring a single adjustment every 122 years.
The creation of the commemorative models involved the Atelier de Haute Horlogerie, Atelier Automates and Atelier d'Art.
The fourth is a unique piece dedicated to a good cause while showcasing the craftsmanship of the Atelier d'Art.
Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon Only Watch adorned with a plique-à-jour enamel dial.
Also housed in a 41mm red gold case, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon features a sapphire dial with white gold base and Grand Feu "plique-à-jour" enamel. The new masterpiece has been donated to the upcoming Only Watch auction.
The face is made up of various straight and geometric sections separated by the white gold, thus forming a dial which has been entirely polished flat. This was achieved by applying an extremely fine diamond powder polish to each area of the enamel.
Every tone of the enamel was painstakingly selected and fired at a very high temperature several times in a row. The variations of red, orange and yellow represent happiness, passion, optimism and energy, in supporting the cause championed by Only Watch.
Positioned at 12 o'clock, the tourbillon was entirely reworked by the Atelier de Haute Horlogerie. Thanks to its realisation in titanium and the elimination of the sapphire bridges, the cage has been lightened and optimised with regard to its chronometric functions.
Highly open to let light pass through, the tourbillon gives the illusion of being both large and lightweight all at once.
The novel and contemporary skeleton structure focuses on straight lines, angles, modernity and perfect symmetry. Finished in black, bridges confer a powerful matte appearance. The tourbillon cage follows the geometry of the skeleton movement, with a triple cross shape which, once a minute, aligns perfectly with its bridges.
For the ninth consecutive time, Jaquet Droz has contributed to the charity auction with the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon Only Watch being a part of the fund-raising for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy, supported by the Association Monégasque Contre Les Myopathies in Monaco.
