The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Mosaic Elephant

The Rare Handcrafted Timepiece Made From 2,000 Pieces Of Eggshell

The watch we’re about to showcase is a world first; this is watch design at its absolute finest, and if you’re into exquisite, handcrafted timepieces, this one’s going to make it onto your lust list.

The face of the Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Mosaic Elephant is like nothing else in the world of watchmaking. Its Asian-inspired mosaic artistry is the result of over 200 hours of craftsmanship, involving the hand-placement of thousands of tiny quail eggshell fragments.

This mosaic masterpiece shows an elephant moving across paddy fields – a metaphor of wisdom and strength. That’s an aspirational message to be wearing on your wrist. The Swiss watchmaker discovered the ancestral Asian art of eggshell tesserae in Vietnam. Artisans were set the challenge of re-creating this in miniature form on the Petite Heure Minute’s 43mm diameter watch face – an area that regularly acts as centre-stage for artistic expression and new decorative techniques.

Each fragment of quail egg, of which there are around 2,000 (that’s roughly 10 placed on the watch face per hour), is sorted according to colour, shape and purity, allowing the craftsmen to apply realistic shading and shadowing to the scene. The intricate design is finished with transparent lacquer and polished to maintain outstanding visual perfection.

The elephant scene is complimented by a striking black onyx hours-and-minutes dial, and a reflective red gold bezel. The watch’s underside hosts self-winding mechanics and an engraved 22-carat gold design.

With just eight exclusive timepieces made, and each slightly different, this limited edition Petite Heure Minute is a rare and remarkable addition to any watch lover’s collection.

www.jacquet-droz.com