Jaquet Droz Celebrates the New Year with the Petite Heure Minute Buffalo and Petite Heure Minute Relief Buffalo

Jaquet Droz's Petite Heure Minute zodiac models, which astound with their intricate craftsmanship and unique aesthetic every year, are being released. In honor of the 2021 zodiac sign, the Ox, the brand is releasing the Petite Heure Minute Buffalo and Petite Heure Minute Relief Buffalo, both of which feature the buffalo, a familiar animal in China.

Relationship with China begins with mechanical watches and automata

　The Petite Heure Minute series is perhaps the most representative example of Jaquet Droz's signature sculptural techniques and poetic worldview. Among the many traditions the brand cherishes, its connection with China has been a part of the brand's DNA for centuries.

　The company has a long history of ties with the Chinese imperial court dating back to 1774. Over the course of about ten years, it exported more than 600 pieces to China, captivating Emperor Qianlong and his senior court officials with its poetic creations, including singing bird automata, table clocks, snuffboxes, and pocket watches.

　Thus, Jaquet Droz became the first watch brand to set foot in the Forbidden City, and today the Palace Museum (also known as the Forbidden City) still houses a large number of Jaquet Droz automata and pocket watches. Recently, in the spring of 2019, a special exhibition entitled "Treasures of Time" featuring the Palace Museum's collection was held in Hong Kong, delighting many fans.

"Ox" is expressed using two decorative craft techniques

The cow is hand-engraved in gold relief, and the relief is applied not only to the dial but also to the rotor.

The ivory high-temperature fired enamel dial has a soft luster that accentuates the miniature painting.

The Petite Heure Minute Buffalo is a model featuring cows in the company's specialty miniature style. This 41mm model in a red gold case features an ivory enamel dial depicting a buffalo standing in a rice paddy field. In China, buffaloes are said to have been used as livestock since the Han dynasty. Preferring waterside environments more than cows and adapted to living in swamps, they were used as labor in rice paddies. As they provide meat and milk once fully grown, they are an economically advantageous animal and have remained an integral part of people's lives to this day. The miniature buffalo, with its gentle gaze directed towards us, is sure to bring a sense of calm every time you look at it.

　The ladies' model, with a 35mm case, features diamonds set on the bezel and lugs, creating a glamorous impression. The dial depicts a buffalo peering into the water against a backdrop of misty rocky mountains, creating a different, more mystical atmosphere than the 41mm model. The rotor, made of the same red gold as the case, is engraved with an image of a buffalo walking through the grass.

The Petite Heure Minute Relief Buffalo is crafted with intricate engraving to depict a buffalo. The design features a three-dimensional relief of a buffalo and plum tree against a background of jet-black onyx. The color of the red gold model gives the impression of being bathed in the light of the morning glow. The plum tree is set with 27 rubies, representing red plum blossoms blooming at the ends of its branches. The dial is a snapshot of an idyllic landscape, and the rotor is crafted with intricate engraving of a buffalo's profile.

　The white gold case model features diamonds set on the bezel and lugs. Compared to the red gold model, this model evokes a moonlit night scene. The buffalo relief, which evokes a sense of divine aura, is entirely handcrafted. Ruby flowers blooming on a white gold plum tree add an accent to the monochrome dial.

The Petite Heure Minute Buffalo and Petite Heure Minute Relief Buffalo will each be limited to eight pieces worldwide. All models have a serial number engraved on the case back. A 2021 zodiac model will be released to celebrate the long-standing friendship with China and the New Year.