Jaquet Droz has unveiled an exceptional piece, Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire – Bushidô that takes as its central motif the mask of the Japanese warrior and respectfully but freely interprets its shapes and colours
More than half a dozen master craftspeople and 200 hours of work were required to bring this Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire – Bushidô to life. As always at Jaquet Droz, it will only be produced as a single unique piece. It is no easy task to translate a Japanese national wealth, such as the Bushidô mask, into a timepiece. To achieve this, Jaquet Droz had to call on most of its master craftspeople: engravers, painters, sculptors, enamellers, stone-setters, and more. The aim: to create the most powerful visual sensation possible.
Micro-sculpture takes centre stage. It is thanks to this that the Bushidô mask literally emerges in its three dimensions. The use of a 100% sapphire case gives the illusion of the mask being worn directly on the wrist. Unlike most equivalents on the market, the case of the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire – Bushidô is 100% Swiss Made, manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and has no screws or inserts. The view of the movement and dial is unobstructed.
It is this perfectly clear view that allows the most intricate details of the mask to be admired. Its main surface is hand-painted, but its horns are made of translucent enamel. None of the mask’s surfaces are flat: The intaglio engraving on the red gold base underscores the eyes, nose and mouth, outlined in gold. In a first for Jaquet Droz, the face features a setting of Murano glass beads, accentuating both the dominant jade colour and the menacing accents of red also found on the two hand-painted hands.
The movement of the Bushidô mask is based on a Manufacture calibre. Its tourbillon, positioned at 12 o’clock, balances the barrel at 6 o’clock. The two parts can be seen from the back thanks to an openworked red gold oscillating weight, through which a unique feature can be admired: The back of the mask itself is hand-painted with sakura, or cherry blossom – a rare treat, as the reverse of appliques is usually polished but very rarely painted.
A unique timepiece measuring 42 mm in diameter with an 8-day power reserve, the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire – Bushidô embodies the entire Jaquet Droz “JD 8.0: A Disruptive Legacy” philosophy: disruptive in its aesthetic treatment and sapphire case with a skeleton movement, but deeply respectful of the Japanese heritage it conveys.
