According to Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Rooster will start from Jan. 28, 2017 and last to Feb. 15, 2018. Jaquet Droz welcomes the upcoming Chinese New Year with two new models based on the iconic Petite Heure Minute that are each available in two versions. Each of them also celebrates the brand’s historic ties with China, and exemplifies collaboration between its numerous Ateliers d’Art.
Jaquet Droz Fire Rooster Collection
Two of the models pay tribute to miniature painting. This extraordinary discipline passed down from the Enlightenment masters is expressed in the form of two Grand Feu enamel dials which are housed in 39 mm red gold cases and set with diamonds for the 35 mm model. The rooster, which is accompanied by peonies (known as “the Queen of Flowers”) to represent springtime renewal, is depicted on the underside of the hand-engraved oscillating weight in a watercolor style to echo Chinese calligraphy masterpieces. Each model is unique, depicting true miniature paintings that reflect the artist’s skilled hand. To the left of the dial, bamboo shoots represent yet another promise of happiness, that of a year full of youth, rectitude and resilience in the face of adversity.
Jaquet Droz Fire Rooster Collection
The miniature sculpture technique was used for the other two precious models. Limited to 28 pieces, the first Petite Heure Minute Rooster combines volumes of red gold and its unique light with a dial inlaid with jadeite and mother-of-pearl, which are hand-engraved in the Jaquet Droz workshops. This miniature masterpiece celebrates one of the most symbolic materials in Asia: jade, the symbol of luck and health, which is given as a gift to mark life’s most important moments. The dial is then patinated and hand-painted in monochromatic shades that enhance each relief. Ultimately, the splendor of this remarkable creation evokes both the brilliance of the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art and the ingenuity of traditional Chinese painting. Jaquet Droz has also created a limited edition of eight entirely hand-painted pieces illuminated by glistening rooster feathers.
Jaquet Droz Fire Rooster Collection
These extraordinarily realistic paintings beautifully complement the radiance of the diamonds featured on the pieces. The soft sun rising in the mist, the sloping mountainside and delicate peony petals rendered in a black and white palette are further enhanced by the brilliance of precious stones. This exceptional work is repeated again on the oscillating weight, which is crafted in gold, engraved, patinated and decorated in jadeite.
Featuring a movement with a double barrel and a silicon escapement, these four models demonstrate the degree to which Jaquet Droz’s passion and expertise in gemstones, sculpture and miniature painting go hand in hand with the dialog that the twin-star brand has always maintained with China. Furthermore, they illustrate how the New Year, a moment of hope, has never departed from a sense of tradition.
