Continuing with its focus on unique, custom-order watches, Jaquet Droz’s latest brings together art, film and watchmaking. Commissioned by an unnamed collector (who presumably loves J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales), the Tourbillon Dragon “John Howe” stands as a fine example of Swiss watchmaker’s ability to blend artistic crafts with technical watchmaking. It reprises an earlier commission that similarly united The Lord of the Rings and Jaquet Droz watchmaking.

Initial thoughts

Custom-made one-offs are not uncommon in the world of high horology, with collectors regularly commissioning unique timepieces from both independent and established makers. Most of George Daniels’ creations were commissions, as were the ultra-complicated pocket watches delivered by Vacheron Constantin to a certain Mr Berkley.

Unlike other brands, however, Jaquet Droz is now largely specialised in custom or bespoke commissions. It also takes a different and unique approach by collaborating with both the client and an artist of the client’s choosing in making wearable pieces of art.

Here the artist John Howe, the Canadian illustrator who was responsible for visualising Tolkien’s fantasy world for the novels and later became artistic director of The Lord of the Rings film series. The timepiece reproduces an artwork created by Mr Howe as a large scale painting that was then was adapted to wristwatch format. 

Beyond the impressive miniature painting and pedigree of the motif, the watch stands firmly as a well made timepiece – as is quite typical for watches made by Swatch Group brands – boasting an excellent tourbillon caliber and masterful craftsmanship all around. Compared to other timepieces that focus on artistic dials but sometimes to detriment of the movement, the Tourbillon Dragon has a storied caliber that lives up to the unique dial.

The cal. 25JD inside is certainly one of the finest tourbillon movements on the market, combining an impressive seven day power reserve with a flying tourbillon and automatic winding — not to mention origins that can be traced back to independent watchmaker and AHCI co-founder Vincent Calabrese. Jaquet Droz made a very good choice with this movement, pairing an already excellent timepiece with a unique and suggestive example of miniature art.

The blue dragon

The main point of this piece is without a doubt the snarling, coiled dragon which takes over the lower portion of the dial. The mythical creature cradles a glowing globe, centred within its coils. While the meaning behind the art is anyone’s guess, it suggests a symbolic guardian of time — fitting given it graces the face of a timepiece.

The dragon theme is an important element in The Lord of the Rings mythology, although this particular beast is not necessarily inspired by Smaug. The blue scaled creature looms over the white numerals, leaving the impression that the dragon floats over the dial and exists outside time.

The artwork was originally executed by John Howe, the same man who adapted Tolkien’s world from paper to screen, but as a work of art on paper. The artistic style employed is instantly suggestive of Tolkien’s aesthetic, which was surely the intention here.

The dragon on the dial is a scaled down but exact replica of Mr Howe’s original drawing, painted by the artists at the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art. The dragon is incredibly detailed, with many shades of blue, grey and fine strokes constructing the looming figure.

And the dial itself is made from white gold and finished with grand feu enamel, on top of which is miniature painting depicting the dragon.

A well-crafted watch

While the surreal dragon looms above the dial and perhaps above time itself, the timepiece is otherwise grounded and tangible. Jaquet Droz used its Grande Seconde Tourbillon model as a base, retaining the same 43 mm white gold case. The case has clean lines with short lugs and an onion-shaped crown. The case back and dial both bear minimal inscriptions, which is fitting.

The Dragon Tourbillon retains the oversized “eight” dial layout of the original model, with the lower loop serving as a sub-dial for the time while the upper, smaller loop circles the flying tourbillon aperture. The tourbillon carries a seconds hand as well, making for a lively small seconds dial. The dial’s black backdrop with white markings points to the overall muted aesthetic of the timepiece — interrupted only by the large dragon.

Inside the watch beats the Jaquet Droz cal. 25JD, which is actually adapted from Blancpain’s cal. 25 (both marques are sister brands in the Swatch Group). Jaquet Droz applies its own finishing, although the caliber remains Blancpain at its core. The movement traces its roots to Vincent Calabrese’s original flying tourbillon construction that was developed for Blancpain, but has been updated with modern innovations like a silicon hairspring. 

The cal. 25JD is an automatic, seven day movement with a flying tourbillon regulator. The tourbillon proudly exhibited at the 12 o’clock position has an original, inverted construction, with the 3 Hz balance off-centred relative to the rotation axis. This unique setup is prone to be sometimes mistaken as a carrousel regulator, but this is not the case. 

Unique to this one-off piece is the red gold winding rotor with a black onyx insert bearing John Howe’s personal logo, which is of course rendered in typography also found in The Lord of the Rings. Much like the rest of the watch, this detail is discreet but thoughtful. 

Key Facts and Price

Jaquet Droz Tourbillon Dragon “John Howe”
Ref. J0130340021

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 16.96 mm
Material: 18k white gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 25JD
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 168 hours

Strap: Alligator with 18k white gold folding clasp

Limited edition: Unique piece
Availability: Unavailable
Price: Unavailable

For more information, visit Jaquet-droz.com.