Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater Automata 18K RG Black Onyx UNWORN 2026

This Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater Automata is a rare feat of the maison's automaton craft, limited to just eight pieces. Powered by the hand-wound calibre RMA88, it unites a minute repeater with an elaborate bird automaton, and the two work as one: activating the chime not only sounds the hours, quarters, and minutes but simultaneously brings the dial to life. At the press of the slide, the scene of birds at their nest springs into motion — wings beat, a bird bends to feed its young, and water appears to fall — a choreographed animation running in time with the chime and ranking among the most difficult things a watchmaker can attempt. The rose-gold case measures 47mm across and 18.7mm in thickness, a bold and substantial size that suits the ambition and drama of the piece. Its dial, worked in black onyx and mother-of-pearl and finished entirely by hand through engraving and painting, gives each of the eight examples its own distinct character. The presentation matches the watch: it arrives in a magnificent oversized box accompanied by a dedicated resonator crafted from "bois de la vallée," a wooden sound chamber designed to amplify and enrich the repeater's chime so the animated performance can be shown to its fullest. Placing the watch upon the resonator turns the pleasure of the chimes into a shared spectacle, exactly as intended for a piece built to be demonstrated and admired. A rare and remarkable meeting of horology, mechanical artistry, and showmanship.