In 2025, 10 years after winning the “Mechanical Exception” category at the GPHG, the Charming Bird is being reinterpreted in a Grade 5 Titanium case. It is the world’s first wristwatch with musical automaton to be made from this metal, which is as difficult to work as it is modern
Jaquet Droz, nearly three centuries old, has since its inception amazed the world with its realistic singing birds, capable of whistling a melody in perfect tune, with several examples still in perfect working order. However, since 1738, clockwork mechanisms have undergone many disruptions, including miniaturisation, which enabled the workshop to move on from the music box and life-sized automaton to the wristwatch. The other revolution was in materials.
Reputed to be one of the most difficult metals to work with, titanium has long resisted machining, finishing and decoration techniques. Its technical prowess includes a well-proven resistance to impacts and scratches, as well as an incredible lightness on the wrist. Jaquet Droz in its new Charming Bird Titanium is highlighting its lightness. The watch is 20% lighter, weighing 42 grams less on the wrist.
In addition to this lightness, the timepiece has two unique features. First, a double sapphire crystal, which protects the movement on the dial side and, separately, protects the bird automaton at 6 o’clock. A narrow lateral opening, between 8 and 10 o’clock, allows the air – and therefore the melody – to circulate from inside the case to the outside world. All with a satin-brushed finish executed to perfection.
Jaquet Droz has retained the automaton that has delighted collectors for over a decade. It is fully visible through a metallic sapphire dial at 12 o’clock, allowing the hours and minutes to be read against a black background. The bird, measuring 13.5 mm, sits proudly at 6 o’clock. Hand-engraved and hand-painted, it flies through an opening in the dial towards its owner. It whistles, opens its beak, spins around, and beats its wings and tail.
The automaton has its own power reserve, wound by the crown at 2 o’clock. A simple press on its coaxial push-button triggers the sequence and can be stopped by a second press. If the owner does not intervene, it can last for around thirty seconds, during which time the three notes of the bird’s whistle can be clearly distinguished. The speed of its movements and singing is not controlled mechanically, to avoid friction between metal parts that would inevitably cause wear, but magnetically. As there is no contact, there is also no noise interference, resulting in a purer melody. Made as a one-off piece, the Charming Bird Titanium is taking flight to new horizons.
