A homage to the snake is extremely rare. Jaquet Droz has not produced one for the past 12 years, but in preparation for the coming New Year (2025), which corresponds to the Year of the Snake in the Eastern zodiac, Jaquet Droz is now releasing two unique models with mother-of-pearl and Sonoran Sunrise dials. For the first time, these models eliminate hands and showcase an unprecedented level of artistic craftsmanship. The snake's serpentine body, crafted from solid gold and decorated with gradient enamel, is accented with a motif designed by John Howe, Jaquet Droz's partner and illustrator and conceptual artist for The Lord of the Rings.
Oudian Hours Red Gold Mother-of-Pearl
The Ophidian (meaning "snake") Hour is Jaquet Droz's first handless model. This unique 41mm piece is crafted from red gold and displays the hours and minutes on a slowly rotating disc, with the snake's head indicating the hours and its tail indicating the minutes. Automatic winding (Cal. 2653). 28 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve of approximately 68 hours. 18KRG case (41mm diameter, 13.78mm thick). MOP dial. Water resistant to 30m. Unique piece. Price starts from CHF 164,000, including Swiss Value Added Tax (VAT).
Ophidian Hours Red Gold Sonoran Sunrise
The snake, measuring 4mm at its thickest point, is carved from five solid blocks of white gold and assembled to appear as a single seamless motif, set so close to the sapphire crystal that it almost touches it. Features a Sonoran Sunrise dial. Automatic winding (Cal. 2653). 28 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 68 hours. 18KRG case (41mm diameter, 13.78mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Unique piece. Price starts from 164,000 Swiss francs, including Swiss Value Added Tax (VAT).
The enameling was considered nearly impossible due to the difficulty of applying powdered enamel to the entire curved surface of the three-dimensional snake, but the artisans at Jaquet Droz not only overcame this challenge, but also achieved something even greater.
The enamel is applied evenly to the small indentations on the snake's body, creating a stunning gradation of light to dark green, which in one version alternates with a blood-red motif. The enamel is precisely applied to shallow cavities within a gold frame, fired and polished, and the white gold surface is also hand-polished. This is how the Ruyi motif, an ancient symbol of protection and good fortune, designed by John Howe, is created.
Two dials
The first dial features a gorgeous mother-of-pearl finish with a graduated miniature bamboo motif, while the second dial is crafted from mineral material, again drawing on Jaquet Droz's long craft tradition, but the stone chosen for this unique piece is also exceptional: Sonoran Sunrise, another first and a material never before used by Jaquet Droz.
It was chosen because it combines the complementary colors of soft green with black inclusions and blood red with intense marbled markings within a single stone. Finding a stone of such vivid color at such a small size is difficult, but carving it into a dial just 0.8 mm thick is an even greater challenge.
A manufacturing process that tests the skills of craftsmen
