Jaquet Droz has unveiled two unique Charming Bird timepieces, which house a singing bird complication where birdsong is created when air is released through three sapphire crystal tubes.
The two new watches follow the creation of Jaquet Droz’s Bird Repeater, which was awarded the Mechanical Exception prize at the 2015 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève).
The watchmaker describes the birdsong complication as “an innovation made possible by introducing three minute sapphire crystal tubes. Air enters the first tube, then is stored inside the second and finally pushed into the third, thus regulating the melody according to the volume of air and the speed of the piston. On the mechanical side, the regulator harnesses a magnetic effect in order to prevent any contact between the metallic components and to eliminate auditory interference within the watch.”
The two new pieces have a hand-engraved and hand-painted white mother-of-pearl dial and Onyx subdial.
The two pieces, coming in either 18-carat white gold or rose gold have a 47mm case, a push button automaton triggering mechanism (for the bird), sapphire whistle systems and a Jaquet Droz 615, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns with a platinum oscillating weight.
The bird itself is also housed under a sapphire crystal dome.
Only eight pieces will be created. The price has not been disclosed.
