Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVIII

1 5 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T his is a timepiece imbued with the spirit of the jeweller’s craft, minimalist yet richly ornate. The Lady 8 and its distinctive undulating silhouette have made their mark as touchstones of femininity, elegance and watchmaking refinement. An expression of refined elegance, this timepiece is enhanced by the astounding automaton and the virtuosity of the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art. In the workshops at La Chaux-de-Fonds, the desire to create the most extraordinary timepieces sets the bar extremely high, but this year the brand known by its twin stars has reached a pinnacle of achievement: it has bestowed the Lady 8 with a breathtaking mechanical animation in the form of a blossoming lotus flower. The Lady 8 Flower, a fusion of all the arts and crafts practiced by Jaquet Droz, is made up of two superimposed circles creating a figure of eight – an emblematic number for the brand and a symbol of harmony, perfection and infinity. The lower circle features a delicate butterfly, its wings outspread. Two versions are available: one with the butterfly’s wings painted and engraved in translucent red enamel on a guilloché background, while the other, incorporating jewels, features a butterfly set with blue sapphires and portrayed against snow-set diamonds. The upper circle reveals a lotus flower under a sapphire crystal dome. Representing serenity and poetry, and sacred to many Asian cultures, the flower has been crafted with the utmost care. Each petal is individually enamelled or engraved to create a perfect satin finish. As a mysterious bud or as a fully opened jewel-like bloom, this animation is not simply a pure vision of naturalistic and poetic beauty. By pressing a push-button, the lotus flower opens, revealing its diamond heart. For Jaquet Droz, the timepiece also presented a new technical challenge: to accommodate the two mechanisms – the watch mechanism itself and the automaton mechanism – separately within a 35mm diameter case, while ensuring one never interferes with the other. The Lady 8 Flower comes in two limited edition versions, each comprising just eight pieces. In both, Jaquet Droz shares a taste for secrets with its clients – the secret of its peerless expertise adapted to the times, and that of a delicate flower that will burst into bloom at any moment. It is simply exquisite. Jaquet Droz – The Lady 8 Flower