The Bird Repeater “300th Anniversary Edition" (All photos: Jaquet Droz)
Watchmaker Jaquet Droz celebrates the 300th birthday of founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz with a fitting limited-edition timepiece. The Bird Repeater “300th Anniversary Edition” pays homage to the finest tenets of Swiss watchmaking by marrying the brand’s quintessential mechanical ingenuity with its signature artisanal craftsmanship.
The automaton, enhanced with a minute repeater, embodies the essence of the illustrious house with an intricate weaving of multiple bird animations, hatching eggs and a flowing river.
Two robins, commonly seen and heard around Swiss valleys, occupy the foreground along with their nest while a farmhouse — a replica of the house where Pierre was born in 1721 — is in the background.
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The elements depict Pierre’s birthplace of La Chaux-de-Fonds, from the red berries and holly leaves found around the valley to the insects — including a butterfly and dragonfly — that enliven the ecosystem.
This scene plays out against a white mother-of-pearl dial with black onyx appliques housed in a 47mm 18-carat red gold case. Completely engraved and painted by hand, it is one of fine watchmaking’s most virtuosic complications.
The Bird Repeater “300th Anniversary Edition” is limited to just eight pieces and will be a priceless addition to any collector’s treasure box.
See more of the watch here.
This article first appeared on July 12, 2021 in The Edge Malaysia.
