It is always a privilege to encounter horological artistry at its zenith, especially when it converges with the poetic expressiveness of nature. Introduced as a unique commission for a discerning collector, Jaquet Droz’s Petite Heure Minute Red Gold – Hummingbird stands as a celebration of heritage, craftsmanship and innovative watchmaking. This singular creation, resonant with the spirit of the Enlightenment and the maison’s “Disruptive Legacy”, is imbued with the aesthetic and technical DNA that has distinguished Jaquet Droz since 1738.
The dial of the Petite Heure Minute Red Gold – Hummingbird instantly commands attention, not simply for its composition but for the depth of artistry it volumes. Handcrafted from 18-karat white gold, it brings together engraving, Grand Feu enamel and miniature painting. Within its 39mm red gold case, the dial depicts two hummingbirds gathering nectar from hibiscus flowers, every detail rendered with exacting finesse. Their presence is entwined with botanic motifs, layered in such a way that the birds appear to rise above the landscape, painted with exquisite subtlety to a thickness of just one tenth of a millimetre.
The painting process extends to the finest details, including golden paillons in the pollen grains, and is punctuated by enamelwork intended to achieve vibrancy and nuanced shading. The chromatic journey traverses vivid reds and sunny yellows in the flowers, tones of translucent white along the birds’ wings, and a gradient sky enveloping deep navy at six o’clock to luminous noon at the zenith, each shade a product of meticulous kiln firings, balancing the perpetual risk inherent in Grand Feu techniques. These layered finishes lend an unprecedented depth and energy, unmistakably Jaquet Droz.
At the heart of this watch beats the Jaquet Droz 25JD.Si, a self-winding tourbillon movement that carries both legacy and state-of-the-art sophistication. This calibre features a silicon balance spring and pallet horns, ensuring resilience against magnetic fields and atmospheric changes. Its tourbillon display commands the twelve o’clock position in classic haute horlogerie style, the cage and bridge formed from translucent sapphire, allowing the mechanical ballet to hover at the dial’s peak. Delivering a seven-day power reserve, the movement thrives on autonomy, further enhanced by its 31-jeweled construction and a frequency of 21,600 vph. The oscillating weight, fashioned from 18-karat red gold with white mother-of-pearl applique, is hand-painted in the hummingbird’s palette, an ornamental flourish that links mechanical art with visual splendour.
Encasing this poetic scene is the 18-karat red gold case, robust in its construction and masterful in its embellishment. Measuring 39mm in diameter and 13.2mm in height, the case is lavished with 260 diamonds, totalling 1.41 carats. The red gold applied ring on the dial is similarly set with ninety diamonds (0.12 carats), further enriching the tactile experience. On the reverse side, “1/1” is engraved as a solemn confirmation of its uniqueness. Jaquet Droz has not overlooked practicalities: water resistance extends to three bar (thirty metres), and the timepiece is secured by a matching red gold folding clasp, itself set with thirty-two diamonds, complementing the light blue rubber strap, which adds a contemporary note.
In bringing together nature’s lyricism with uncompromising mechanical prowess, the Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Red Gold – Hummingbird is a watch that sings of its origins while looking boldly to the future. Here, the harmony of flora and avifauna is executed in high enamel and miniature, the tourbillon ascends as a floating vision of watchmaking’s technical heights, and the limits of artisanal creativity are graciously surpassed. It is not only a revival of floral art in haute horlogerie; it stands as an invitation to its owner, and to all serious connoisseurs, to “Create your own. As unique as you are.” With every glance, this work reaffirms that horology, too, is the art of perpetual renewal.
