Produced in just eight pieces to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the Bird Repeater "300th Anniversary Edition" minute repeater automaton embodies the essence of the Swiss Maison. The dial in white mother-of-pearl and black onyx is embellished with 18-carat red gold appliqués and is brought to life by a series of animated birds, accompanied by the hatching of eggs and the roar of a river in the background. The dial itself is entirely hand-engraved and hand-painted and is animated by a minute repeater, one of the most virtuoso complications in Haute Horlogerie, enclosed in a 47 mm case in 18-carat red gold. The Bird Repeater collection was launched by Jaquet Droz in 2012, encompassing in a single model all the artistic crafts of the company's Ateliers d'Art, combining in the same movement traditional watchmaking aesthetics and its unique know-how in the field of automata. For this celebratory edition, the House rediscovers the naturalist inspiration that animates its automata. In the foreground, two robins (one male and one female), birds renowned for their melodious song and proximity to humans, identical to those that populate the valleys of Switzerland. In the background, on the right, is a farmstead, but not just any farmstead: in fact, it is an exact reproduction of the one in which Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born 300 years ago. This reference is recalled, on the left, by a verdant valley, crossed by a river. Again, this is a choice not dictated by chance: it is in fact 'La Ronde', the waterway that surrounds the valley of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Completing the symbolism is the flowering gentian in the foreground, known to master watchmakers for its particularly fine-grained wood, used for the final polishing of movement components. This plant is also renowned for its medicinal virtues and as an essential ingredient in the production of the alcoholic beverages that have made the region famous. On the sides, we find the natural elements typical of the La Chaux-de-Fonds landscape: red fruits and hollyhocks, a Celastrina butterfly (herald of summer), as well as several small animals hidden in the decoration. One can catch a glimpse of a dragonfly, symbol of strength and combativeness, or a grasshopper, whose leap forward expresses the courage to take risks, the ability to seize opportunities and to always look ahead. The movement used is the Jaquet Droz RMA88 calibre (18,000 vibrations per hour, 69 jewels, 48-hour power reserve), a hand-wound mechanical movement.
