Luo River Automaton
Jaquet Droz translates eternity into a unique automaton piece

This is a unique project, crafted in the utmost secrecy and down to the finest detail over more than two years. It embodies much more than a client's creative vision: It carries with it an entire chapter of Chinese history and civilization.

Where emotion and passion intersect, the traditional Quejinxiu embroidery is created by Wang Limin, a leading figure in the Chinese arts and crafts tradition. A highly respected national figure, she preserves this ancestral craft, which she has succeeded in fully restoring by hand, entirely on her own. Her devotion keeps alive this art form once reserved for the imperial court and Buddhist temples. For this unprecedented collaboration, the La Chaux-de-Fonds workshop brought together a collector, this leading artist, and Jaquet Droz’s artisans, who breathed life into their shared vision.

Wang Limin is a custodian of the art of Quejinxiu, a traditional textile art created using gold thread, peacock feathers and silk thread. Her expertise also encompasses Kesi, the traditional Chinese art of silk tapestry, characterized by its slit-weaving technique. She is also skilled in dyeing, inlay, embroidery, and painting.

Born into a family devoted to Quejinxiu, Wang Limin has revived this ancient art. She founded an institute dedicated to research, preservation, and transmission, where she now trains a very select number of apprentices to ensure the survival of this precious craft.

More than any other, this project symbolizes the union of hand and spirit. Driven throughout by the personal involvement of Alain Delamuraz, CEO of Jaquet Droz, and Wang Limin, it was shaped through a dialogue marked by deep mutual respect. Wang Limin, an artist of national renown whose work has been exhibited in China’s leading museums, including the National Museum, had so far declined all offers of collaboration. However, she felt that, for a work of such significance, only Jaquet Droz could bring the project to life.

Based on an ancient scroll containing a poem written in 222 AD, the Luo River Automaton celebrates the fluidity of time flowing like a river, the quest for eternal love, and humankind’s aspiration to immortality. Wang Limin chose a specific section at the heart of this more than 10-meter-long scroll to embody these themes that permeate Chinese culture.

The artist was meticulous about every element of her timepiece, each of which had to convey symbolism resonating with her art. Nothing was left to chance. Wang Limin’s requirements were exacting. The materials, colors, shapes, animation rhythms, and the positioning of motifs all had to reflect her artistic essence. For all these reasons, the discussions between Wang Limin and Jaquet Droz to define the project alone spanned the two years from 2024 to 2025. Multiple avenues were explored. From China, Wang Limin reviewed and approved them via Studio 8, an immersive workshop equipped with 4K cameras that allows every Jaquet Droz client to observe the creation of their unique piece step by step. The teams also traveled to China to experience Wang Limin’s art in her studio, which is normally closed to visitors.

Almost all of Jaquet Droz’s artisans were involved in the creation of the Luo River Automaton: engraving, sculpture, painting, stone-cutting, gem-setting, and many other crafts, naturally including watchmaking. The piece is an automaton in the purest Jaquet Droz tradition. The central, fixed timekeeping section features two red gold hands on an imperial jade dial, in an especially light tone specifically chosen by the artist. Aside from a static half-moon-shaped plate beneath this dial, the entire outer ring is in motion, completing one rotation every 30 seconds. This scene, both static and animated, is crafted in mother of pearl and decorated with a botanical miniature painting that gives it the striking illusion of being engraved.

This rotating ring symbolizes the flow of water, and therefore the passage of time. It features numerous hand-chiseled gold water lilies. One of them has a gemstone set in its center. As the disc rotates, it transforms: Purple sapphire, blue sapphire, emerald. The effect enhances the magic of these mysterious transformations, with a barely perceptible change every 10 seconds.

Opposite this water lily, the Kun, a giant mythical fish from Chinese mythology imbued with symbolism, moves in time with the animation: it swims through the mother-of-pearl river, moving its body and tail to propel itself forward over the course of its 30-second rotation. Thanks to the two barrels that drive the animation, it can run for up to four minutes, and the owner can interrupt it as desired by simply pressing the pusher at 3 o’clock.

A large red gold applique crowns the entire scene. It depicts a team of water dragons drawing a winged chariot, evoking both dragon mythology and the dragon boat from Luo Shen Fu, a symbol of the journey of the soul and eternal love. The two elements of the applique — the team of dragons and the chariot — are secured at three points to ensure stability and elevation above the dial, while the reins and ribbons, individually applied, are crafted to within a tenth of a millimeter and hand-painted.

Finally, and for the first time on a unique Jaquet Droz piece, Wang Limin personally insisted on creating the presentation case and strap of the Luo River Automaton herself, entirely by hand. The artist explored several creative directions and produced four unique iterations, derived from motifs designed specifically for this project. An absolute masterpiece, from the buckle to the dial.