For the Chinese New Year 2019, we celebrate the year of the Pig. Jaquet Droz honors the twelfth and last animal in the Chinese Zodiac cycle with four exquisite examples of craftsmanship with four new watches based on their Petit Heuer Minute series. The first two are a pair of his/hers in red gold with enamel painting, and the second are another pair of his/hers also in red gold with relief engraving.
The Petite Heure Minute models in red gold is issued in a limited series of 28 pieces each (numerus clausus). The ladies’ version features a 35 mm case set with diamonds, while the unisex version has a 39 mm case and no diamond setting. On both of these watches, the Art of Miniature Painting was chosen to depict a young Pig in a field of wheat. Applying the brand’s signature naturalist technique, Jaquet Droz evokes the abundance and prosperity of a ripe wheat crop, and the calm and good sense of the Pig who stands before it, visibly disinterested. On the back of the piece, the gold oscillating mass is engraved with a similar scene.
Engraving is the dominant art in the second new pair of limited-series pieces: the Petite Heure Minute Relief Pig. Here, a wild pig is depicted in front of eight oak trees. The number eight has a special significance for Chinese culture, which sees it as a lucky number, and for Jaquet Droz, whose flagship model, the Grande Seconde, is based on the aesthetic of its infinite loops. The mighty oak tree is a symbol of power, longevity, and moral and physical strength.
Both of these limited-series models display an onyx hours and minutes disk that gleams in sheer bottomless black. In the first creation – a numerus clausus of 28 pieces – the brand has chosen to contrast the black onyx with a 43 mm red gold case featuring a red gold engraving. In the second limited series of eight pieces, a white gold case and engraving accentuate the black onyx of the disk. The case and lugs are set with diamonds. In both models, the boar is depicted in a relief engraving on the oscillating mass, with an onyx applique providing the backdrop. The brand proposes a selection of charming and heartfelt tributes to this very special year, illustrated by the wealth of Jaquet Droz craftsmanship.
At Press Time, we have not received photographs of the Petit Heuer Minute in relief engraving.
