Jaquet Droz’s Parrots For Your Pocket

Pocket watches are, for the most part, a thing of the past. Where the (mechanical) wristwatch is still firmly holding ground, has there been a tremendous decline in the sales of pocket watches. That doesn’t stop some brands from still making them on occasion, like this stunning one-off Parrot Repeater pocket watch by Jaquet Droz.

The reason that Jaquet Droz opted to make this particular watch a pocket watch is evident. They needed a lot of space to create this automaton just the way they wanted it. With a diameter of 56mm, they had the choice of making it an outrageously large wristwatch or a medium-sized pocket watch. By choosing the latter, it allowed them to bring the whole theme of this watch to the next level. The cover of the pocket watch is skeletonized in such a way that it seems as if you are looking through the foliage of vines and hibiscus at two nesting Ara macaws, one of the best-known types of parrot. To make the foliage even more lifelike did Jaquet Droz use paillonné-enamel and emeralds to represent the vines, and other colored gemstones to act as exotic hibiscus flowers.

The scene with the parrots is encircling a dial made of mother of pearl. It is primarily the details of the birds and their surroundings that is striking. However, as this watch is an automaton, there is much more to it. When the minute repeater is activated, the waterfall starts running, and both parrots start moving. That is not all, as also the egg in the middle is hatching, with its siblings dancing in excitement next to it.

The back of the red gold case pays further tribute to the Ara Macaws with a stunning painting in grand feu enamel. To create this, the enamel is turned by hand into a fine powder and then mixed with oil to be able to paint with it. The painting has to be several times fired in a kiln, making the entire procedure very delicate with nearly no margin of error. The combination of the various types of craftmanship utilized on this watch makes it even more exceptional, while at the same time so perfectly fitting within the rich heritage of Jaquet Droz.