Jaquet Droz sees in Chinese New Year with special edition "Petite Heure Minute" watches

Jaquet Droz has presented four special edition watches inspired by the Chinese New Year, which starts February 8 and celebrates the year of the "Fire Monkey." It is also an opportunity for the Swiss watchmaker to celebrate its historical links with China, which date back to the 18th century.

The Jaquet Droz Ateliers d'Art specialize in creating watch faces with artistic designs. This latest series draws inspiration from the legend of Sun Wukong, or the "Monkey King," one of the most famous figures of Chinese classical literature. According to the legend, the monkey eats sacred peaches - a symbol of eternal life in China - so as to achieve immortality.

This image has inspired the watchmaker and has been captured by its craftspeople. The first model, the "Petite Heure Minute Monkey," depicts a monkey stretching out on a branch seemingly reaching to pick a peach. The image is highlighted against an Ivory Grand Feu enameled dial. This model is available with either a 35mm-diameter red gold bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds or with a 39mm-diameter bezel finished in red gold with no diamonds.

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The second model, the "Petite Heure Minute Relief Monkey," depicts the monkey perched on the branch of a peach tree, carved from gold and embossed on the watch face. The animal is set against intricate mother-of-pearl foliage, making a striking contrast with the black lacquer dial. This design showcases the exceptional skill and craftsmanship of the Jaquet Droz artisans, and is available with either a red gold bezel or a gray gold bezel set with diamonds.

With all four of the watches, the time dial is set off-center towards the top of the watch face, leaving pride of place for the monkey motifs. All models offer a power reserve of 68 hours. Only 28 editions of each Chinese New Year-themed watch will be made.