Jaquet Droz’s Tourbillon Skelet Red Gold Dragon Mask is a one-of-a-kind horological opera, a symphonic meeting of technical audacity and artistic brilliance that could not remain unremarked upon by the discerning eye. In an age awash with another tourbillon after another, this watch is a distilled essence of what true haute horlogerie should be: singular in ambition, intoxicating in execution, and disarmingly beautiful in both its function and form.
Upon first encounter, the dial presents itself as a miniature tableau worthy of extended study. Jaquet Droz has fused 18-karat white, yellow, and red gold into the dial, each section painstakingly hand-engraved and painted by the maison’s master artisans. The ferocity and grace of the dragon, a cornerstone of Chinese cultural identity, are rendered not through brashness but through layers of nuanced artistry.
Each scale, curve, and detail rewards close scrutiny: the emerald cabochons, specifically cut in a “cabochon” style in a bezel setting, serve as the dragon‘s eyes, their saturated verdancy cutting through the metallic canvas with hypnotic effect. Throughout, the techniques deployed transcend métier d’art for art’s sake: the harmonious blend of engraving and painting yields a striking chiaroscuro across the relief, while the meticulous gem-setting imparts a subtle drama.
The movement is where the true connoisseur’s pulse finds rhythm. The 2625 SQ calibre is an openworked, self-winding marvel. It eschews showmanship in favour of deliberate sophistication. The movement is treated in black, offering an evocative contrast to the red gold oscillating weight, itself fully engraved: this is no mere aesthetic afterthought, but an invitation to examine its micro-architecture under loupe, where blackened bridges and plates dance with the fire of polished bevels.
The silicon balance spring and pallet horns point to Jaquet Droz‘s mastery of the contemporary, while the eight-day power reserve is achieved via a single barrel, a subtle feat, accomplished with the apparent ease of long experience. The flying tourbillon, positioned at 12 o’clock and visible on the dial side, is both skeletonised and precisely placed, its delicate frame tracking the seconds off-centre in a performance where engineering meets poetry. Flip the watch and through the sapphire back, the oscillating weight is revealed, custom-engraved with the words “ONE MORE”, a sly nod to both the exclusivity of the piece and the unending narrative of creation.
Engineering alone cannot explain the graceful proportions of the 41mm case, cut from 18-karat red gold. The curves are balanced, the lugs integrating smoothly into the overall silhouette. At 13.36mm in height, the case wears with unexpected comfort, hugging the wrist with a presence that is undeniably majestic. The case’s water resistance is rated at up to 3bar (30metres), a practical touch in a singular work of art. Every plane, every polished surface and angular transition speaks to a workshop that has spent untold hours refining the tactile as well as the visual, extending even to the red gold folding clasp and the rubber strap, which assert modernity without concession to fashion’s whims.
The conclusion, if such a word can suffice, must return to where the piece begins: at the intersection of heritage and innovation. Jaquet Droz has authored not just another tribute to the tourbillon, but a unique object in which mythology, artistry, and horology not only coexist but actively conjure one another. The Dragon does not breathe fire, as the maison poetically puts it; instead it ignites passion, creativity, and a certain reverence in those privileged to encounter its beauty. This Jaquet Droz is a legend wrought in gold, emerald, and time: an alliance between that which is eternal and that which is possible, beckoning us, as the engraving whispers, to ask for “one more” glance, and “one more” moment to hold something truly unique.
