Finely crafted gold surfaces mingled with fragile mother-of-pearl sculptures, delicately set precious stones matching bright enamel colors – poetry permeates each and every detail of the Magic Lotus Automaton watch, a naturalist masterpiece crafted by Jaquet Droz’s finest craftsmen.
Jaquet Droz already played a pioneering role in the field of opulent 18th century decorative techniques. Enamel, gold-or silver-leaf paillons, miniature painting, sculpture or engraving served to adorn countless pocket watches, urns and snuffboxes, bird cages as well as automatons, transforming each of the brand’s heritage pieces into rare and exceptionally refined objects. These crafts are still expressed today in the Jaquet Droz Art Ateliers, bringing to life exquisitely stylish artefacts.
To design the fantastic naturalist fresco on the dial of the Magic Lotus Automaton, Jaquet Droz called upon the combined talents of its finest artisans. The watch face is composed of three parts. All around the gold-ringed onyx time disk, the visual journey begins at the surface of the water, graced with ripples created by meticulous engraving and painting entirely done by hand. Red stems and lotus foliage engraved and decorated with Grand Feu enamel, lotus flowers carved in mother-of-pearl and enhanced with a thin layer of translucent paint, finely engraved gold chalices as well as precision-set gems – diamonds, a ruby, a blue sapphire and a yellow sapphire – bloom on all sides of the dial. Even the dainty dragonfly, whose graceful progression indicates the power reserve, features superb gold engraving and miniature painting. Inspired by the perpetual cycle of the four seasons, this artistic depiction of a Zen garden is complemented by the undulations of a hand-engraved gold Koi carp which, with a swish of its tail, creates the illusion of swimming along the river in a vertical up-and-down movement. This poetic vision of a legendary scene is crafted by virtuoso artisans whose skills invite us to dream and awaken our inner child.
Magic Lotus Automaton
CASE : red gold or white gold DIAMETER : 43mm MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding, Jaquet Droz Caliber 2653 AT2, 68-hour power reserve FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, dragonfly-shaped automaton power-reserve indication DIAL : onyx, hand-painted and engraved white mother-of-pearl, lotus flowers set with seven diamonds, a ruby, a sapphire, a blue sapphire and a yellow sapphire CASEBACK : sapphire crystal WATER RESISTANCE : 30m STRAP : alligator leather LIMITED EDITION : 28 pieces in red gold, 28 in white gold