The Swiss luxury watch brand celebrates the 300th anniversary of its founder with a stunning new minute repeater in the form of a bird automaton
In 2012, Jaquet Droz revolutionised modern watchmaking with its Bird Repeater collection. This Haute Horlogerie innovation captured the best of the Swiss luxury brand’s Ateliers d’Art techniques in a single piece. It combined traditional watchmaking aesthetic with a one of-a-kind automaton expertise in the same movement. It captured the brand’s quintessence and three centuries of heritage in a single, resolutely contemporary creation.
The brand returns to the theme of nature with a new minute repeater in the form of a new Bird Repeater to celebrate the 300th birth anniversary of the founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz. It features multiple bird animations, eggs hatching and the river in the background, all laid out on a white mother-of-pearl and black onyx dial with hand-engraved and handpainted 18K red gold appliques.
In the foreground are two robins, one male and one female, like the ones that can be seen and heard all around the Swiss valleys and known for their song and proximity to people. In the background, to the right, is a farmhouse that is a replica of the farmhouse in the La Chaux-de-Fonds valley where Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born. Surrounding the house is a verdant valley and river flowing through it, on the left.
The historical nod to La Chaux-deFonds is also important because it is the birthplace of Swiss watchmaking. The scenery also features a Gentian flower in the foreground, whose fine wood grain is used by watchmakers for the final polishing of their components. The plant is also used for its medicinal values and alcoholic beverages that have contributed to the region’s success.
Left, right and centre, are other natural characteristics of La Chauxde-Fonds: red berries and holly leaves, a blue butterfly, a dragonfly and a grasshopper announcing the arrival of summer and other animals hidden in the scene. The dragonfly symbolises strength and fighting spirit, while the grasshopper’s powerful leap embodies risk-taking, the ability to seize opportunities and move forward, which are spirits that resonate with the philosophy of Jaquet Droz.
The intricate animation engraved and painted by hand is housed in an 18K red gold, 47 mm case. Jaquet Droz RMA88, a hand-wound winding mechanical movement powers the automaton and the rest of the functions of the minute repeater. Power reserve of 48 hours. Limited to eight pieces.
