On Thursday, November 22nd, Jaquet Droz, in collaboration with private bank Lombard Odier, celebrated its 280th birthday in the heart of Geneva, a city cherished by the brand.
This private event was held in the winter garden on the terrace of the President Wilson Hotel. Situated on the Leman lake shore and just steps from the most beautiful parks and boutiques of the renowned Rue du Rhône, Hotel President Wilson is one of the most contemporary addresses in Geneva, facing the magnificent panorama of the Mont-Blanc.
In the presence of Mr. Christian Lattmann, CEO of Jaquet Droz, this exquisite evening of elegance gave prominence to the prestige of watchmaking. Indeed, the brand has offered its guests an exclusive way to discover its world through the experience of a unique workshop allowing all the guests to try the art of miniature painting, alongside one of the master painters.
Guests were also captivated by the brand's recent creations, such as the Grande Seconde Skelet-One, the Grande Seconde Moon and the Lady 8 Petite. The Loving Butterfly Automaton and Lady 8 Flower also amazed guests with their animated dials.
“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!”
After three years of work, Jaquet Droz and John Howe have developed an Art Watch dedicated to emotion, wonder and fantasy. Draped in gold and rare stones, their dragon has a record 9 distinct animations. Inside a 43 mm case, the piece is entirely handmade and can be customized almost without limit by the client. Thanks to a Studio in the heart of the Jaquet Droz head quarter, clients will be offered an immersive phygital experience that will allow them to witness the live creation of their timepieces. There is no series to be announced, only unique pieces.
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.