A web of mythology surrounds her. She is Catrina, the graceful and imposing personification of death from Mexico's Day of the Dead. Jaquet Droz has embraced this iconoclastic figure, weaving her exuberant spirit into a masterful timepiece that defies convention. This one-of-a-kind creation in red gold is a testament to the atelier’s unparalleled command of micro-painting, paillonné, and grand feu enamel, crafted for a single discerning collector.
Born from an illustrator’s imagination, the first female calaveras appeared in 1889, but this great lady of the afterlife didn't receive her official name until 1930. A century later, she has traversed continents to find a new home in the hallowed workshops of Jaquet Droz in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
With this audacious creation, Jaquet Droz asserts its independence, moving beyond the traditional masculine tropes of the skull. Catrina offers a neo-romantic vision of the calavera—rich in color and encircled by a wreath of dazzling flowers. This vibrant floral motif, in keeping with the brand's three-century-long naturalist ethos, transforms a symbol of death into a celebration of life.
Catrina commands the right two-thirds of the dial, her presence defined by exquisite detail. Subtle contrasts abound: two distinct shades of white divide her face and smile, minute variations of pink and violet dance across her form, and the golden dots and red gold hands shimmer against a backdrop of verdant green that shifts from bright and clear to dark and foreboding.
This harmony of contrasts is a result of diverse craftsmanship. While Catrina's head is rendered in breathtaking micro-paint, the floral base to the left is brought to life through grand feu enamel. Each leaf, hand-engraved on a 1.1 mm thick gold dial, is given a different depth, then filled with enamel powder and fired multiple times to achieve its luminous texture.
Here, the golden dots are not painted but are delicate paillons—tiny hand-chiseled motifs of gold leaf captured under a whisper-thin layer of invisible varnish, a technique Jaquet Droz has perfected over centuries. The ethereal lightness of the micro-painting stands in stark contrast to the horological rigor of the tourbillon visible at 12 o’clock. This high-precision, flying tourbillon, with its open-caged design and 8-day power reserve, offers an intimate view of the watch's beating heart. It is a microscopic ballet, a precise measure of time that exists in defiance of Catrina, who remains blissfully unconcerned with its relentless march.
The timepiece’s final flourish is reserved for the collector's eyes. On the case back, the mother-of-pearl oscillating weight is adorned with two golden star appliqués framed by a riot of multicolored foliage, a final, feminine assertion of Catrina's eternal grace. Crafted entirely by the hands of Jaquet Droz artisans, the 39 mm Catrina Skull in red gold is a peerless model for a one-of-a-kind collector.
