Jaquet Droz Pocket Watch Automaton – Parrot Repeater

The Parrot Repeater is a unique pocket watch automaton, made exclusively by Jaquet Droz for a private client.

The Parrot Repeater Automaton Pocket Watch features a 56 mm red gold case. Beating inside it is an extremely complex mechanical movement incorporating a Minute Repeater coupled with an automaton boasting eight animations, activated by a single bolt mechanism at 9 o’clock.

The scene comes to life as the waterfall in the background flows, the two parent parrots move, their egg hatches and their chicks shuffle. The scene, created entirely by hand by the Artisans at Jaquet Droz, called for the very highest levels of craftsmanship: micro-painting, engraving, Grand Feu enamel.

The case has been entirely hand-set and hand-painted, both on the dial side and the back, and features a secret mechanism (for which two patents were filed) in an opening hidden within the bow. The part has 1240 hand-set jewels, including 486 emeralds, 727 sapphires and 16 rubies.

Expert eyes will note the curved and ribbed Grand Feu enamel on the leaf covering it, at 12 o’clock; the angled enamelled surface of this cover is considerably harder to create than a flat surface. The scene is framed by a luxurious jungle expressed in rubies, sapphires and emeralds set in golden vines.

The case back features a parrot painted on an enamel background, set in a tropical forest accentuated with paillons in gold leaf.

Model: Jaquet Droz Pocket Watch – Parrot Repeater, Unique Piece, Reference J0805330011

Movement
Jaquet Droz RMA88, minute repeater, hand-wound mechanical movement, unique barrel. Animation of Ara macaws, hatching egg, waterfall.
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes
Jeweling: 69 jewels
Power reserve: 48 hours
Frequency: 18,000 v.p.h.

Case
18-karat red gold case, hand-engraved, enameled and paillonné-enameled, set with 344 emeralds (2.61 carats), 16 rubies (0.05 carats), 281 blue sapphires (1.15 carats), 338 yellow sapphires (0.95 carats), 108 pink sapphires (0.45 carats), 7 marquise-cut pink sapphires (6.69 carats), 4 marquise-cut blue sapphires (4.92 carats).
Diameter 56 mm
Height 27 mm
“Pièce unique” (unique piece) engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: Not water-resistant

Dial
Hand-engraved and hand-painted white mother-of-pearl dial
Hand-engraved and hand-painted applied decoration in 18-karat red gold

Hands
18-karat red gold

Chain
18-karat red gold chain
18-karat red gold disc set with 142 emeralds (total of 0.93 ct)

Total carat weight/colored stones
486 emeralds (3.54 cts)
281 blue sapphires (1.15 cts)
338 yellow sapphires (0.95 ct)
108 pink sapphires (0.45 ct)
16 rubies (0.05 ct)
7 marquise-cut pink sapphires (6.69 cts)
4 marquise-cut blue sapphires (4.92 cts)”
Total: 1240 set stones
Total carat weight: Emerald 3.54 cts – Sapphire 14.16 cts – Ruby 0.05 ct”