Her name is Catrina. She is one of the very few female incarnations of death in the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). Jaquet Droz has adopted this unusual, exuberant and disruptive character in line with its own approach to master craftsmanship. The result is a unique piece in red gold that exhibits a mastery of micro-painting, paillonné and grand feu enamel, for the benefit of a single collector.
A web of mythology surrounds it. It is not known precisely what year she was born. 1912? 1913? This calavera, the emblematic figure of the Mexican Day of the Dead, seems to have sprung from the imagination of an illustrator. And while the first female calaveras appeared in 1889, it was not until 1930 that this one was given her official name – Catrina. The great lady has spanned the decades with consummate ease. Now, a century later, she has crossed continents to appear at the Jaquet Droz workshops in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
With this unique piece, Jaquet Droz is demonstrating its independence. Not to mention its audacity. By moving away from the masculine clichés of the skull, Catrina offers a neo-romantic vision of the Mexican floral. Contrary to custom, here we see a richly coloured figure surrounded by a wreath of flowers. In keeping with the naturalist spirit that has inspired it for nearly three centuries, Jaquet Droz has appropriated this dazzling floral myth of Mexican culture.
The figure of Catrina occupies the right two thirds of the dial. It’s all about the details: the two whites divided between the face and the smile, with two different levels of contrast, the minute variations in pink and violet, the shades of the gold dots with the two hands in red gold, and the green, sometimes bright and clear, sometimes dark and threatening.
This contrast is underscored by the diversity of craftsmanship on display. Catrina’s head is in micro-paint, but the floral base on the left of the dial is in grand feu enamel. The foliage is hand-engraved on a 1.1 mm thick gold dial. Each leaf has a different depth, and is filled with enamel powder and fired several times.
In this case, the gold dots are not hand-painted, but rather paillons. The technique, which Jaquet Droz has been using for nearly three centuries, consists of capturing tiny hand-chiselled motifs in gold leaf under a thin layer of invisible varnish. In the same spirit, the lightness of the freehand micro-painting contrasts with the watchmaking rigour of the tourbillon visible at 12 o’clock. Within its ocular orbit, it features a high-precision mechanism with an 8-day power reserve. The choice of a flying tourbillon, with no upper bridge, offers a bird’s-eye view of the watch’s regulating organ. This ballet, orchestrated to the micron, offers a precise measurement of time in defiance of Catrina – herself unconcerned with the whole concept – and with a rigour to which she seems oblivious.
On the back, this great lady of Dia de los Muertos asserts her femininity with a final flourish that is only visible to collectors. Its mother-of-pearl oscillating weight is decorated with two gold star appliques edged with multicoloured foliage. Created entirely by hand by Jaquet Droz artists, the Catrina Skull in a 39 mm red gold is a model for a unique collector.
A. Lange & Söhne presents a new version of its progressive, mechanical digital watch, featuring a ring-shaped date display. It is the first model of the ZEITWERK watch family that combines the warm hue of pink gold with a grey dial.
In 2009, A. Lange & Söhne took the world of precision watchmaking by surprise by launching a trailblazing watch: the ZEITWERK. Its precisely switching digital time display conceals an ingenious mechanical movement. With this disruptive approach, the timepiece appeals to aficionados of traditional watchmaking artistry who also welcome progressive concepts and unconventional solutions.
Apart from the jumping numerals mechanism, the ZEITWERK DATE introduced in 2019 is also equipped with an innovative date ring, circling the dial. It is made of printed glass, depicting the numerals 1 to 31. A small colour segment on a ring beneath the date ring performs one step exactly at midnight. Hence, the current date appears in red and, in the course of a month, it moves around the dial, completing one full revolution. At a glance, the wearer can perceive how far the month has progressed. The date can be corrected with the pusher at 8 o’clock: the switching impulse is generated when it is released.
A distinctive face
Six years after making its debut in white gold, the ZEITWERK DATE now stages an entrance in pink gold. Both versions are graced with a grey dial, elegantly showcasing the mechanical digital time indication. In the interest of optimised, logical legibility, the two apertures for the prominent hour and minute numerals are arranged from left to right on the centre axis of the dial. The indication is a paragon of precision: within a fraction of a second, the patented jumping numerals mechanism switches the numeral discs – precisely 1,440 times throughout the day.
The hour display can be advanced separately with the pusher at 4 o’clock. To enable the correction independently of the switching cycles of the movement, a clutch uncouples the hour ring from the jumping numerals mechanism with every actuation of the pusher. Similar to the date function, the switching impulse is generated when the pusher is released.
A bridge into the interior
The time bridge made of German silver is one of the most striking design elements of the ZEITWERK watch family: it offers a fitting stage for the trailblazing and, to date unique, technical concept. It is part of the movement and frames the time indication with the subsidiary seconds dial, thus creating an instantly noticeable connection between the aesthetic appeal of the exterior and the interior mechanics.
Powerful performance once a minute
Controlled by a patented constant-force escapement, the tremendous force needed to advance the time indication is delivered by an exceedingly powerful twin mainspring barrel. A fly governor absorbs the surplus energy and protects the entire jumping numerals mechanism. Precisely every 60 seconds, the constant-force escapement provides the switching impulse for the numeral discs. Positioned between mainspring barrel and balance wheel, it makes an important contribution to rate stability by assuring that the balance is powered with a consistent amount of force across the entire power-reserve duration.
“The ZEITWERK DATE gives traditional A. Lange & Söhne watchmaking artistry a distinctive, contemporary face,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development. “Precisely at midnight, it puts on an exceptional show. Because then, all three jumping numeral discs and the date ring switch simultaneously. At that moment, a force and precision are at work that you imagine can be felt through the case.”
Manufacture calibre L043.8
The heart of the ZEITWERK DATE, the manufacture calibre L043.8, beats at a frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz). The manually wound calibre with its twin barrel and two mainsprings assures a power reserve of 72 hours. The sapphire-crystal caseback of the pink-gold case with a diameter of 44.2 millimetres and a height of 12.3 millimetres allows fascinating insights into the exquisite artisanal finish of the 516-part movement. Technical and aesthetic highlights include the ratchet wheel adorned with solarisation and engraved with the brand name, as well as the delicate constant-force escapement bridge ‒ both providing vivid accents in the harmonious composition of different materials and surface decorations.
In 2022, the watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre created an intriguing and remarkable new watchmaking complication introduced for the Rendez-Vous collection: the Shooting Star. Now, in 2025, the Maison presents a new interpretation of this romantic and feminine complication, featuring intricately hand-painted peonies on the dial.
INSPIRED BY THE MYSTERY OF THE NIGHT SKY
Watchmakers have always been fascinated by the night sky, not only for its beauty but also because the regular movements of the stars and planets are the foundation of how we measure time. However, unlike these regular astronomical events, shooting stars are completely random and ephemeral – making them the most romantic and mysterious of all celestial phenomena. Not technically stars but rocky debris that burns brightly on hitting Earth’s atmosphere, they are visible only at certain times of year and under the right conditions, their light streaking across the night sky and disappearing in the blink of an eye. These rare phenomena have captivated mankind since the dawn of time – and inspired the watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre to translate their ethereal magic into a timepiece.
In keeping with the Maison’s deep legacy in developing astronomical complications, its watchmakers were also inspired by the challenge of creating a completely new celestial complication, conceiving, developing and producing the new mechanism entirely within the Manufacture. Activated by the movement of the wrist, the shooting star appears on the dial at random moments.
ARTISTIC CRAFTS AMPLIFY THE MAGIC OF SHOOTING STARS
The Rendez-Vous Shooting Star is presented in two enchanting variations, both cased in 18k pink gold (750/1000). As a canvas for the skills nurtured in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s in-house Atelier des Métiers Rares™, the dial is a complex structure of three superimposed discs. Made of transparent sapphire glass, the uppermost of the three layers has been hand-painted in lacquer with lush peony blooms, which conceal the shooting star when it is inactive. The process begins with a delicate yet decisive step: drawing all the outlines freehand, guided by the artist’s interpretation of the design.
The intricate process of miniature painting then continues with the foliage, which is painted in mirror image on the reverse side of the disc. Once completed, the disc is turned over to paint the flowers on the front. Using nine different shades of lacquer for the pink peonies and 12 shades for the blue, the dials must be painted in a single, uninterrupted session because the lacquer dries very quickly. For the artist, there are no second chances and no margin for error. Adding to the challenge, the artisans work in anti-static gowns and full protective gear to ensure the piece remains completely free of foreign particles. Even the slightest contamination means starting over. Throughout, the sapphire crystal must stay perfectly clean — despite prior steps such as setting the dial — preserving the integrity of the final creation. The painting on both sides of the dial adds depth to the design, while the intricate detail of the flowers and delicate rendering of the petals creates an almost photo-realistic effect.
Set beneath the sapphire dial, the second layer is a rotating disc of mother-of-pearl, which has been airbrushed with multiple layers and different shades of blue to create the effect of a starry sky. The soft glow of the mother-of-pearl creates subtle colour variations and adds to the visual depth. On one side of this disc is a laser cut-out of a shooting star silhouette. When activated, the disc spins and, as its path curves across the upper part of the dial, the cut-out reveals the third layer – a fixed disc of silvery metal with a glowing gradient finish – creating the optical illusion of a flash of light across the sky.
Defining the trajectory of the shooting star, a three-quarter circle of diamonds is set into the sapphire glass dial. The bezel is set with a circle of brilliant-cut diamonds that draw the eye towards the dial and, in keeping with the aesthetic codes of the Rendez-Vous, the upper surfaces of the lugs, and the top of the crown are also diamond-set. The pink peony model features a fully diamond-set pink gold bracelet, with a total of 625 brilliant-cut diamonds and approximately 6.31 carats across the entire watch. The blue peony variation, paired with a shiny blue alligator leather strap, includes 189 brilliant-cut diamonds set on the case and dial, totalling around 1.47 carats for the whole timepiece.
A REMARKABLE WATCHMAKING COMPLICATION
To create a mechanism that expresses an unpredictable phenomenon is a fascinating challenge for watchmaking as it appears to defy the laws of horology – a world where everything is expressed through precisely calibrated, mathematical rhythms.
Drawing on more than 190 years of expertise accumulated within the Manufacture, the engineers and watchmakers of Jaeger-LeCoultre developed the in-house automatic calibre 734, comprising 335 individual parts, incorporating the shooting star mechanism. In doing so, they have succeeded in a remarkable feat of capturing a random cosmic phenomenon in a watchmaking complication.
Combining technical mastery with La Grande Maison’s artistic sensibility, the Rendez-Vous Shooting Star reimagines the magic of the night sky. Almost 500 stars form this celestial scene – not painted, but precisely applied as transfers on the dial of the peonies’ variations, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail behind each creation. The choice of peonies – a flower that epitomises femininity with its lush yet delicate form, and, in many cultures is a symbol of prosperity, abundance and enlightenment – amplifies the romance and beauty of watchmaking complication like no other.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
RENDEZ-VOUS SHOOTING STAR
Case: Pink gold (18k – 750/1000)
Dimensions: 36mm x 11.11mm
Water resistance: 50m
Mechanism: automatic mechanical movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734
Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” display
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: sapphire crystal with diamonds and miniature painting
Diamonds: 189 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.47 carats)
Strap: blue alligator with folding interchangeable clasp
Reference: Q36424C2
RENDEZ-VOUS SHOOTING STAR
Case: Pink gold (18k – 750/1000)
Dimensions: 36mm x 11.11mm
Water resistance: 50m
Mechanism: automatic mechanical movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 734
Functions: hours, minutes, “shooting star” display
Power reserve: 70 hours
Dial: sapphire crystal with diamonds and miniature painting
Diamonds: 625 brilliant-cut diamonds (~6.31 carats)
Bracelet: Pink gold and diamonds with integrated folding clasp
Reference: Q36423C3
