Jaquet Droz celebrates Valentine’s Day with a new limited edition Petite Heure Minute. An ode to sensuality, this timepiece adds a new face of cuprite, a precious stone first discovered in the mid-19th century. This singular mineral is challenging to work with due to its tendency to crumble, but the result brings a unique shimmer to the dial, showcasing the mother-of-pearl hour and minute counter.
Petite Heure Minute Cuprite © Jaquet Droz
The gleam of the 18-carat red gold case echoes the dainty gem-set bezel and accentuates the fiery red colour of passion, love and emotion. The Sonora Sunrise cuprite used in this watch comes from Mexico and the fragments were carefully selected by the artistis at Jaquet Droz. Copper oxides in the stone conjure up visions of a red planet or some fiery star in a solar system of fantasy.
Following Droz demonstrated that the mechanics worked via natural way and wasn’t caused by sorcery, the King paid handsomely for its “Shepherd’s Clock” that remains on display from the Spanish palace tradition. The popularity and funding from this partnership led Droz to make ever more astonishing works of automata, like The Writer. In various ways, these were precursors to modern computers, and also a testament to the astonishing engineering ability of Droz for his time.Despite his fame and ability, Droz’s workshop went into liquidation in 1790 when drafts built in their principal correspondent in China came back outstanding and their principal client in London failed. In 2000, the Swatch Group acquired the brand and re-established Buy Jaquet Droz Watches Replica within their city of origin, La Chaux-de-Fonds. Ever since then, the brand has been paying tribute to the abilities and passions of the creator, releasing the initial Bird Repeater at 2012 (revisited hands-on) and perfecting it further with the scenic Bird watch in 2015 (hands). The hottest Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater combines two of this maison’s eight “codes” or main areas, automata and Ateliers d’Art, or the cosmetic arts.The dial on the Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater is made of mother of pearl, hand-engraved and painted to portray a lush woods scene. When the moment repeater function is activated, you will find seven animated components on the dial which spring into life:The waterfall in the background appears to flow.The hummingbird occupying the middle of the dial moves towards the shrub of bright orange birds of heaven near 9 o’clock and beats its wings around 40 times per second.The peacock at 5 o’clock opens and closes its tail feathers.The toucan close 3 o’clock emerges from the palm leaves and also may open and shut its beak.Three dragonflies near 9 o’clock flit around and flap tiny Super-Luminova coated wings, which ought to look particularly attractive in low light.
Aperçu du dos de la montre © Jaquet Droz
The watch has a diameter of 35 mm and is complemented by a red satin strap with an 18-carat red gold pin buckle. Available as a limited edition of 28 pieces, it is a rare treasure that blazes with femininity.
