Respect, devotion and admiration, or all three at once: the strength of the new creation from Jaquet Droz's Ateliers d’Art captures the Tiger’s spirit like never before.
“Just one look can make a difference”. The common saying, often used for feelings of love, also holds true for art. Jaquet Droz has been inspired by this expression for its two new creations. Through one single piece available in two variations, the brand has united the essence of its watchmaking and artistic expertise.
The simple and eloquent name of the new Petite Heure Minute speaks for itself: “Tiger”. This is often enough by itself to evoke the power and grace of the most respected feline in the world. Jaquet Droz has succeeded in captivating its spirit by releasing two limited series of 28 pieces, each capturing your attention with their gaze. The Petite Heure Minute model has also been chosen to free up maximum space on the dial to display the full intensity of the Tiger’s glaze in the miniature painting.
The Ateliers d'Art have also been able to express their quintessential expertise by representing (on a black or ivory Grand Feu enamel dial) the intensity of the feline’s gaze. On a black dial (with case in white gold), a white Tiger with ice blue eyes has delicately been painted using fine brushes, some as thin as a strand of hair. On the ivory dial (with case in red gold), the Tiger displays its famous black and orange fur with green eyes, the most famous characteristics of its species.
The ultimate precision of Jaquet Droz’s Ateliers d'Art enables the fine detail of the gaze in its entirety to appear almost lifelike. The Tiger’s fur is painted with the aid of a microscope. Each hair is individually painted to reproduce the feline’s thick and silky fur. The great care taken in creating the iris and pupil give the illusion that the Tiger’s gaze follows whoever looks upon it, wherever they are. Through this magic, the fruit of an entirely handcrafted meticulous work of art, Jaquet Droz continues to explore the naturalist theme which has decorated its clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches for almost three centuries.
“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.