Elite Traveler September-October 2018

LAURENT FERRIERGALETMINUTE REPEATERSCHOOL PIECE

JAQUETDROZTROPICAL BIRDREPEATER Part of its exceptional Automata collection, the Tropical Bird Repeater is the newest rendition in Jaquet Droz’s now-famed bird repeater series. This mesmerizing timepiece, a series of just eight unique pieces, features a hand-engraved and hand-painted white mother-of-pearl dial and subdial. The watch celebrates nature and the automaton, which is activated by the minute repeater and shows a great dance of creatures inmotion. The hand-carved and hand-engraved hummingbirdmoves toward orange birds of paradise while beating its wings up to 40 times per second. The peacock’s feathers open and close, and a toucan peeks out frompalm leaves at 3 o’clock. Illuminating the scene are three dragonflies with Super-LumiNova-coated wings. The complicated new movement, Jaquet Droz RMA89, offers up to 120 different possible scenes. So as not to interfere with the tropical beauty, the watch features off-centered hours andminutes. The 47mm case is made of 18K white gold. $661,500, available at Exquisite Timepieces in Naples, Florida, contact Eva Richardson, eva@exquisitetimepieces.com, +1 239 262 4545, jaquet-droz.com

GIRARD-PERREGAUXMINUTE REPEATER TRI-AXIAL TOURBILLON Girard-Perregaux has pushed the limits of complications almost since its inception in 1791. Now, the brand artfully combines the tri-axial tourbillon with a minute repeater in a bold rendition that is at once contemporary and classic. Crafted in titanium to produce the strongest, most intense chiming sound possible, it is powered by an exceptional mechanical manual-wind caliber, GP09560-0001, which is built completely in-house by master watchmakers. It consists of a tourbillon rotating on three axes, each at varying speeds, and a minute repeater that chimes the time on a long gong using two hammers. To showcase the beauty and complexity, Girard-Perregaux utilized large sapphire disks for case sides, as well as top and bottom crystals, so it looks like a sapphire box. With this construction—devoid of a dial —when the minute repeater is activated, you can view the operation of the hammers and hour and quarter racks in an excellent orchestrated mechanical dance. $441,000, available at Cellini Jewelers in NewYork, contact Leon Adams, owner, info@cellinijewelers.com, +1 800 235 5464, girard-perregaux.com

Reference LCF.030, the newest School Piece from Laurent Ferrier, is sublimely simple and elegant in its appearance, which belies its incredibly complicated movement. The watch houses the newmanual-winding caliber LF707.01, based on a movement by La Fabrique du Temps, that has a balance screw and Swiss-lever escapement. In addition to hours and minutes, the watch features a small seconds indication at 6 o’clock and a minute repeater that strikes the time with two small steel hammers on differently tuned gongs. Resolutely modern, yet timelessly classic, the Galet Minute Repeater School Piece has a chime that lasts a full 17 seconds for the longer indications, with perfectly modulated spacing of the hours, quarters and minutes chimes. The dial is crafted in 18K 6N rose gold with a vertical satin-brushed finish, but the case is made of stainless steel to enhance the sound. Just five pieces will be made in the next two years. $345,000, available at Martin Pulli Fine Jewelry and Watches inManayunk, PA, martin@martinpulli.com, +1 215 508 4610, laurentferrier.ch