Whether it’s fine art, wine, or designer furniture, yacht owners are among some of the world's most prolific collectors of timeless pieces. As the sixtieth anniversary of the Rolling Stones approaches, Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz has taken the opportunity to create a legendary piece of memorabilia that will add to any personal collection: The Rolling Stones Automaton – Only Watch.
In an ongoing collaboration with children's charity Only Watch, this year Jaquet Droz has designed a glitzy, rock-and-roll edition of its signature timepiece. The Rolling Stones band will be actively involved alongside the brand for a special auction event, which is set to bring collectors, horologists and music enthusiasts together.
Devised with "all the wonder of children at play", the whimsical design sees the Rolling Stones’ instruments hand-crafted from gold blocks and positioned on a satin disc, coloured to resemble a vinyl record. A second disc surrounds the intricate scene, rotating whenever the pusher is activated while the iconic Stones tongue rises, falls and moves from left to right.
At nine o’clock, the power reserve is modelled after the tonearm and stylus of a traditional record turntable. As it rotates, the vibrant spiral creates an optical illusion much like a child’s spinning top, with each colour hand-painted to match the Only Watch palette. A second Rolling Stones tongue at the centre glows in the dark, recalling a child’s nightlight.
The exclusive, colourful collectible is part of a wider selection of timepieces, backed by the Rolling Stones and designed in Jaquet Droz' Maison in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel.
This collaboration follows the boutique workshop's recent announcement of an immersive, co-constructive experience titled Studio 8. From first sketches to engraving, painting and finishing, clients can connect to their virtual platform of choice and watch their commission come to life. Jaquet Droz even offers clients the ability to look through its own binocular magnifer, inspecting the artisanal details up close and, if they wish, fine-tuning the timepiece to their own specifications.
The auction will take place in 2024. For those interested in bidding, please write to registration@onlywatch.com.
To buy a Jaquet Droz Watch (except the Rolling Stones Automaton – Only Watch), please fill out the form here. For more information on the collection, please click here.
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