Time is also a gift to be given. Organized by the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy and its President, Luc Pettavino, Only Watch is the leading charity of the watchmaking world, bringing the most prestigious brands and manufactures together in Monaco for an auction to raise money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
A partner of many years, Jaquet Droz reaffirms its support for this biennial initiative again in 2015. Only Watch and Jaquet Droz share the same long-term vision of excellence and research. This spirit is incarnated today in an exceptional piece, an expression of the expert techniques of the Jaquet Droz craftsmen, beginning with the historical mastery of paillonné enameling.
Handed down from the goldsmiths of the Renaissance, paillonné enameling consists of creating a raised motif using tiny pieces of gold leaf, applied one by one with great dexterity. This is then coupled with the particularly delicate work of enameling to obtain both the required colors and the translucent depth of the enamel to reveal the sunray decoration. In the Ateliers d’Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Jaquet Droz preserves this ornamental technique used close to three centuries ago. But, respect for tradition can also go hand in hand with a taste for change. As such, for the first time, Jaquet Droz combines paillonné enameling with a 43 mm diameter 18-carat yellow gold case and a deep red Grand Feu enamel on the dial of the Petite Heure Minute, one of its most emblematic models. Particularly difficult to obtain, the color becomes the symbol of a quest for perfection for the brand, known by its twin stars, and is a wink to the flag of Monaco.
This quest is not only decorative – the movement is equipped with a silicon spiral, a material whose flexibility, resistance to shocks, temperature and pressure variations, and magnetic fields guarantees perfect stability over time. It’s the first time that Jaquet Droz incorporates the material in a Petite Heure Minute. The beautiful manufacture of the movement can be admired through the crystal sapphire on the back of the watch, engraved with the reference “unique piece Only Watch 2015.” Elegant and sophisticated, this unique piece boasts a wealth of the brand’s distinctive finishes, whether it be the curve of the horns, the rolled-edge hand-made prestige alligator leather strap or even the forged ardillon buckle, itself also in 18-carat yellow gold.
Presented at the Monaco Yacht Show from September 23rd to 26th, the Only Watch Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée will then travel to Asia, America and Europe, before being presented at auction in Geneva on Saturday, November 7th. A unique occasion for connoisseurs of fine jewelry to acquire an unparalleled piece built on a noble philosophy – that of time devoted to others, for every moment to be more beautiful and be lived more fully.