The new Bird Repeater timepiece from Jaquet-Droz automaton watch line takes inspiration from a tropical landscape.
The Tropical Bird Repeater watch brings together all the watchmaking and decorative expertise of Jaquet-Droz. A piece destined for discerning collectors, the Tropical Bird Repeater is part of a long history at Jaquet Droz, honoring the Enlightenment-era passion for nature and animals of founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz. Automatons, along with the Ateliers d’Art, represent two of the eight codes of the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture, hand-decorated here by engravers and miniaturist painters. These codes are indispensable to the creation of this scene with its flamboyant colors that emerge like a lush oasis on a mother-of-pearl dial, itself enclosed in a red gold case adorned on the sides of its lugs and on the middle band with an animal motif hand-engraved by the brand’s craftsmen.
A true source of life, the waterfall offers serenity to the blooming tropical flora and fauna. At the heart of this Garden of Eden, its water flows eternally in perfect realistic fashion. In the center, a hummingbird hand-carved and hand-engraved by the Maison’s artists moves towards a shrub of bright orange birds of paradise. A one-of-a-kind animation in watchmaking history, its wings beat up to forty times a second, adding incredible realism to the scene. To the right, a peacock with intense blue feathers veritably opens and closes its tail, while a toucan emerges from the palm leaves at 3 o’clock to open its beak.
The dancing flight of three elegant dragonflies, located at 9 o’clock, adds to the magic by day or by night as their tiny SuperLuminova®-coated wings glow in the dark. In all, seven animations that may exceed twelve seconds allow for up to 4 different scenarios, all the more striking as they contrast with the suspended background of the scene.
Alongside this prowess comes a grand horological complication, the minute repeater, which enables the marking on demand of the hours, quarter hours and minutes via the vibration of cathedral gongs struck by hammers inside the case. A push-piece activates this complex mechanism, which to this day remains the privilege of a handful of brands and collectors who will surely appreciate the innovations of the new Jaquet Droz RMA89 movement.
The latter is equipped with a virtually silent wheel regulator, as the regulation of the minute repeater’s speed is operated by the friction between small outer spring blades. New rack springs, an extended pause between the quarter hours and minutes, and the striking of the quarter hours at major third (spanning four semitones) are also part of the complication’s innovations. The power reserve has been increased to 60 hours with an oscillating frequency of 3 Hz.
This high complex micro-mechanical movement can be admired through the pared-down case back, engraved simply with the Numerus Clausus. Limited to 8 unique pieces, the Tropical Bird Repeater plays on the contrasts between the exuberant dial and the green alligator strap, as well as the onyx dial displaying hours and minutes, magnified by the smooth reflections of the red gold case.
Technical details
Collection: Automata Collection
Model: Tropical Bird Repeater
Edition: Numerus Clausus of 8
Reference: J033033200
Movement
Jaquet Droz RMA89, minute repeater hand-winding mechanical movement, single barrel
Automaton animation with peacock, tropical leaves, hummingbird, toucan, dragonflies and waterfall.
Jewelling: 86 jewels
Power reserve: 60 hours
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Case
Hand-engraved 18-karat red gold case
Diameter: 47 mm
Height: 18.95 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water Resistance: No
Dial
Hand-engraved and hand-painted white mother-of-pearl dial
Black onyx subdial
Hand-engraved and hand-painted 18-karat red gold decoration
Hand-engraved and hand-painted peacock, hummingbird and toucan
Hand-painted dragonflies with Super-LumiNova®
Hands: 18-karat red gold
Bracelet
Rolled-edge hand-made dark green alligator strap
Buckle: Luxury folding clasp in 18-karat red gold
