Born from a collaboration between Jaquet Droz and a collector, the Petite Heure Minute Red Gold Japanese Garden stands as a landmark in artistic craftsmanship. The dial itself is carved entirely from ultra-white mother-of-pearl sourced from the Pacific and features 25 appliqués, most hand-carved from mother-of-pearl and affixed to within a tenth of a millimeter.
The scene depicts a traditional Japanese temple rendered with such delicacy that a subtle layer of semi-translucent gray paint conjures three-dimensional depth through painted shadow. Before it unfolds a serene tableau: reeds and water lilies, a cherry tree and lantern in yellow gold, and a dance of koi carp at the center. The most exquisite detail is the reed stems, just 0.1mm thick, engineered to meet the water lily petals within that same vanishing thickness.
At the dial’s heart, a mother-of-pearl cabochon reflects the river and its carp with painterly realism that evokes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The koi’s eyes sparkle with 0.5mm diamonds while gold paillons simulate floating leaves on rippled water. EEven the case’s glass box crystal reveals a hidden hand-engraving, visible only to the owner, making it a unique piece built entirely around one collector’s vision.
Together, these new creations reaffirm Breguet’s enduring bond with feminine watchmaking and with converging jewelry, history, and horology, all in timeless elegance.
