Pre-Baselworld 2017 – Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons (Hands-on, Specs & Price)

Prior to Baselworld 2017 (which opens in 2 days), Jaquet-Droz unveils new versions of its Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons celebrating this time spring and summer. This truly spectacular – and poetic – creation is brought to life by refined artisanship and hand finishing, also known under the name métiers d’art.

Jaquet Droz has been investing rather heavily in reviving and bringing in-house métiers d’art – artistic decorative techniques such as enameling, miniature painting or hand-engraving. The latest versions of the Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons demonstrate once again the talent and expertise of the brand’s craftsmen. This horological work of art is indeed charming and will find many fans among the aficionados of métiers d’art.

The birds have always been a recurring motif for Jaquet Droz (since Pierre Jaquet Droz himself), giving birth to some extraordinary creations over the past few years – for instance the amazing Charming Bird or the Bird Repeater.

Following fall and winter, Jaquet Droz is now presenting two new versions of the Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons celebrating spring and summer, expressing the brand’s craftsmen creativity into colorful, poetic horological works of art.

A masterpiece in miniature, the few square centimeters of the dial are used as the canvass to form a poetical scene. The mother-of-pearl dial is meticulously engraved and hand-painted to create a background with subtle reflections. The off-centered hours and minutes leave room for the craftsmen to express the creativity. Mother-of-pearl being a fragile and flaky material, there is a risk of damage at every steps.

The depth of the dial is quite striking thanks to the relief engraving of the two birds. These are carved from gold, then engraved and painted by hand with so much accuracy and precision that they almost look real. This is enhanced by the case construction that features no bezel; a box-shaped sapphire crystal sits directly on the case, allowing the wearer to observe the charming scene from different points of view. The case of the white gold version is therefore diamond-set under the sapphire glass which is a nice touch.

The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons is powered by the self-winding JD2653 caliber, with silicon balance spring and pallets. This twin barrel movement offers a 68 hours power reserve. Meticulous attention to detail is evident in the superb finish with cotes de Genève radiating from the balance wheel. The rotor is a true piece of art with a mother of pearl inlay highlighted by the brand’s emblematic two stars and a hand-engraved bird applique in 22-karat pink or white gold.

The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons are worn on alligator or satin strap fit with pin buckle. For more information, visit jaquet-droz.com.

Technical specifications – Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons         

• Case: 41 mm x 13.77 mm – pink or white gold – sapphire crystals – water resistant to 30m
• Movement: JD2653 – mechanical with automatic winding – 68h power reserve – 28,800 vibrations/h – 28 jewels – off-centered hours and minutes, off-centered hours and minutes.
• Strap: alligator leather with pin buckle
• Reference: J005023283 (pink gold) / J005024576 (white gold)
• Limited edition of 88 pieces in pink gold and 88 pieces in diamond set white gold (296 diamonds, 1.16 carats)
• Retail price: pink gold CHF 63,750, white gold diamond set CHF 73,450