The culmination of three years of work. A unique collaboration in watchmaking. A custom-made creation that embodies the vision of Jaquet Droz by bringing the extraordinary and the wonderful to life.
The name John Howe is not the most well-known, but most are familiar with his universe and designs: John Howe is the artistic designer for Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies. A fantasy prodigy who has lived in Neuchâtel for 30 years, and who is once again in the spotlight with "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power", which will be released on September 2nd.
Jaquet Droz and John Howe have much in common - the ability to create extraordinary worlds, to give life to wonderful things and emotions, to create animations that speak to the heart and soul - and this is what has brought them together. The ability to astonish, to amaze, to move.
Together, Jaquet Droz and John Howe worked as they have always done - with paper, pencil, and lots of ideas. The theme of their watchmaking collaboration soon became clear: the Dragon. It traverses John Howe's universe as it does millennia, cultures and continents.
Jaquet Droz wanted this Dragon to be alive. And beyond that, with a total of 9 animations, it is probably one of the most complex modern automaton watches ever designed. The sequence that animates it is random, in order to preserve all its magic and mystery. The sacred animal's spine undulates like its tail; its eye and jaw open and close; its tongue moves; its crest rises and falls; its claws grasp a continuously rotating stone.
In accordance with the new Jaquet Droz Vision 8.0, the manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds now only produce unique orders for clients who are themselves unique.
The 43 mm case is finished in the gold of your choice, and Jaquet Droz is already working on the opportunity of using other materials, such as sapphire. The case can either be engraved or left blank. The solid dial can be fully customized, engraved or replaced by a medallion in the stone of your choice. The Dragon, also made of gold and entirely engraved by hand, can have its scales more or less accentuated. It would be futile to list all the possibilities, as they are nearly limitless.
In addition, Jaquet Droz is currently finalizing a brand new phygital solution, installed right in the heart of its head quarter. Open and connected, it will allow clients to see their own Dragon Automatons being created. This immersive experience is a secret door to some of the richest Métiers d'Art in Fine Watchmaking. They are masterpieces of unique watches with very high added value, embodying the Philosophy of the Unique that has guided the disruptive spirit of Jaquet Droz since 1738.
“Some watches tell time. Some tell a story”
A warmed up stage, a drum kit, a few guitars and a harmonica: “It’s only rock’n’roll!” Today, Jaquet Droz unveils the first out of the 23 unique timepieces to retrace the world of the Rolling Stones through motion. Beside the arm of a record player that hovers over a platinum album replica (the power reserve), a scene depicts their signature instruments in miniature paintings and gold thread. The external disc rotates up to 8 consecutive times for 30 seconds and is adorned with the albums that the collector will choose for his unique timepiece. At 9 o'clock, the iconic tongue beats rhythmically, from left to right and from top to bottom. “And I like it!”
The “Effinger” clock dated from 1783 and signed Jaquet-Droz, has been sold at CHF 256,000.-, which is more than three times the starting bid of CHF 70,000.-, during the Koller auction on March the 31st 2022.
Jaquet Droz and designer Shirley Zhang unveiled their joint minute repeater watch, alongside its NFT counterpart, at the inaugural Shanghai Jiahe winter auction. A first for both Jaquet Droz and the Shanghai Jiahe auction house.