Jaquet Droz embraces the natural world once again. In a new ultra-limited series (Numerus Clausus 28 pieces), the Ateliers d’Art at Jaquet Droz are breaking creative boundaries to immortalize the mighty lion. King of the animals, the extraordinary big cat is a mystical and mythological icon of power and strength. This symbol of majesty now gazes out from the Petite Heure Minute by Jaquet Droz. The brand manages to capture the intensity of the lion’s expression: a quiet strength at rest that transforms into breathtaking speed as he hunts his prey.
Jaquet Droz chose miniature painting as the only medium capable of rendering the singular spirit and fine detail of the lion’s expression. His gaze and fur are intricately hand-painted by the artists of Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art, who used a range of brushes –some of a single bristle measuring a mere hair’s breadth– to bring to life details barely perceived by the naked eye. The vibrant portrait roars to life within a 43 mm case. Each of the 28 pieces is hand-crafted, with slight variations making each piece one-of-a-kind.
Adding to their distinctive character, the pieces employ a technique unique for Jaquet Droz. The motif is painted in miniature over a base of black Grand Feu enamel, lending it an unprecedented level of depth: the lion seems to emerge from the case. It is a striking contrast of style as much as color, juxtaposing the modernity of the sleek black enamel dial with the craftsmanship of the miniature painting in color produced by Jaquet Droz artists.
Every timepiece is supplied with an Ateliers d’Art certificate. Here the individual craftsmen who worked on each of the 28 models describe the artisan techniques used to produce the piece. Their proud and precious handiwork thus takes its place in the grand tradition of Jaquet Droz, custodian of the Art of Astonishment, whose latest chapter is the Petite Heure Minute Lion.
