The Chinese zodiac comprises of 12 signs – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig - and 2022 brings with it the 'Year of the Tiger'. To commemorate the occasion, Jaquet Droz has created a set of six watches that not only highlight the theme of the 2022 Chinese New Year, but also demonstrate the different techniques and craftsmanships that the watchmaker is renowned for. Furthermore, the Swiss watch manufacturer renowned for its paired watches has executed the concept in the six 'Year of the Tiger' watches as well. 

Relief Petite Heure Minute Tiger (Ref J005023300 and Ref J005024288)

The two 41mm watches in this series get a shimmering green and blue opal dial with a black onyx subdial featuring the hour and minute hands in gold and dotted hour markers, with hand-graved and hand-painted tiger relief appliques. Ref J005023300 gets an 18K red gold case and red gold tiger, while Ref. J005024288 gets a white gold case with a white gold tiger, with 144 baguette-cut diamonds on the inner bezel and lugs. Both watches have a 68-hour power reserve, and get the Jaquet Droz 2653.Si, self-winding mechanical movement with silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrels, and an 18K red gold oscillating weight on which an engraved roaring tiger sits. Both have a 30 metre water resistance. 

The highlight of the watches is clearly the craftsmanship of the tiger, created in a manner so as to look life-like with its piercing eyes staring out at the wearer, and stripes. In each piece, the Tiger is depicted from the front – strong, powerful, and imposing. His coat seems to vanish in the reflections of the opal, an optical illusion of great artistic finesse.

The watches have a rolled-edge, hand-made black alligator straps with gold ardillon buckles. The pieces have 'Pièce unique' (unique piece) engraved on the caseback. 

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Relief Petite Heure Minute Tiger (Ref J005023301 and Ref J005024289)

The Ref J005023301 features a 41mm red gold case, with a hand-engraved 18K white gold dial with Grand Feu enamel and a black onyx subdial, in whose periphery sits an 18K red gold tiger on a wooden plank, its reflection seen on the waterbed below. The details on the tiger, crafted in relief applique, are worth spending some hours over. Ref J005024289 features a dial where the tiger in white gold walking on the wooden plank with his reflection on the waterbed below. On the caseback the words 'Piece Unique' are engraved, with a tiger resting atop the enamel plated oscillating weight. Both models are powered by Jaquet Droz 2653.Si, self-winding mechanical movement with a 68-hour power reserve and a 28,800 frequency. Whether the wearer opts for a red-gold variant or white gold with 144 baguette-cut diamonds dial, both get a 30 metre water resistance. 

Automaton Tiger Opal (Ref. J032834270 and Ref.J032833270)

The next set of pair watches are automatons, a mechanical feat Jaquet Droz is popular for. In the Ref J032834270, the dial features a hand-engraved and hand-patinated 18K white gold dial, with an opal and black onyx subdial. The opal is reminiscent of a pond, with the beautifully detailed and hand-engraved tiger in white gold resting at its edge; in the pond swims a carp, which has the tiger's attention, while a dragonfly flits overhead. The hand-wound automaton is triggered with a push button. In the second watch, the Tiger stands, on the lookout, but instead surveying his environment for prey.

The case is a 43mm 18K white gold with a 30-metre water resistance. Powering this watch is the same movement as the above timepieces, with the addition of an 18K white gold oscillating weight. The caseback features the words 'Pièce Unique' (unique piece). The watch comes in a rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap with an 18K white gold folding clasp.

All images: Courtesy Jaquet Droz