In 2012, Jaquet Droz released its first minute repeater featuring two blue birds and their chicks. This remarkable model reaffirmed the watchmaking and automaton crafting expertise of Jaquet Droz. The following year, 'The Charming Bird' watch marked the brand’s 275th anniversary with a new interpretation of the bird minute repeater in an ultra-modern decorative setting and this time singing. Then, at Baselworld 2016 the Jaquet Droz Charming Bird Métiers d'Art made its appearance. Last year, another fascinating minute repeater by Jaquet Droz was launched.

This new exceptional automation timepiece inspired by a tropical landscape and named Tropical Bird Repeater, celebrates the beauty of nature with its animated birds —a hummingbird, a peacock and a toucan—, dragonflies, birds of paradise flowers and with its jaguar and second peacock adorn the background.

Things to Know About the Watch

Celebrating the beauty of nature cased in a generous 47 mm case in either 18K white or red gold and available in a limited edition of 8 pieces only, the Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater brings its mother-of-pearl dial to life with seven animations:

• The waterfall in the background appears to flow.
• The hummingbird moves towards the set of birds of paradise flowers and beats its wings.
• The peacock at 5 o'clock opens and closes its tail feathers.
• A toucan at 3 o'clock emerges from the leaves and opens and closes its beak.
• Lastly, three dragonflies around the 9 o'clock area flit around and flap tiny superluminova coated wings.

The Case

Available in a limited edition of 8 pieces for each metal, the Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater is available in either 18K red gold with black hours and minutes subdial at 12 o'clock or in 18K white gold with mother-of-pearl subdial. The case is exquisitely hand engraved elevating the artistic look of the watch even further.

The Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater is a grand complication featuring a minute repeater that can chime the hours, quarter hours and minutes on demand. This minute repeater features cathedral gongs and the animation on the dial is concurrent to the chiming of the time. The actuator on the left caseband is used to activate the minute repeater and the animation.

The Movement

The watch is powered by the Jaquet Droz single-barrel manual wound calibre RMA89 which provides a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement is exquisitely decorated and its fully visible via the display case back. Both the cathedral gongs and the black polished striking hammers take the center stage when turning the watch over.

On the Wrist & Pricing

On the wrist, the Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater wears much bigger than a 47 mm watch due to its ultra thick profile measuring almost 19 mm —as the sophisticated automaton and minute repeater movement needs plenty of room. The wrist presence is simply out of this world and the animation along with the chiming of the hours is simply fascinating. A true work of horological art, in all the sense of the word.

Sticker Price $661,500 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.