A new manifestation of the philosophy of uniqueness championed by Jaquet Droz, the Luo River Automaton combines the feminine and the masculine, eternal and earthly love, spiritual perfection and mastery of artistic crafts.

The savoir-faire of Wang Limin, heir to the Quejinxiu tradition, unites with that of the watchmakers to bring to life an automaton in which the Kun fish and a set water lily merge on a mother-of-pearl riverbed.

It is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by Jaquet Droz and stems from a genuine artistic encounter between the workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Wang Limin, a Living National Treasure of China, one of the last people to master the Quejinxiu hand-embroidery technique, made with gold thread and peacock feathers. The unique piece created with Jaquet Droz is inspired by a painted scroll narrating a poem composed in 222 AD, an unprecedented and fundamental work in the history of Chinese art.

It is a project of unique scope, carried out with the utmost secrecy and meticulous attention to detail for over two years.

Wang Limin is an heir to the art of Quejinxiu, a traditional textile art made with gold thread, peacock feathers, and silk thread. Her expertise also incorporates Kesi, the traditional Chinese art of silk tapestry, characterized by its slit-weaving technique. She is also proficient in dyeing, inlay, embroidery, and painting.

Until now, Wang Limin, a nationally renowned artist who has exhibited in major Chinese museums (including the National Museum), had declined any kind of collaboration. 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 attainment of eternal love, and humanity's aspiration for immortality. Wang Limin chose a very specific section of this over 10-meter-long scroll to depict these themes that permeate all of Chinese culture.

The artist was meticulous with every element of her clock, which had to display symbolism consistent with her art. Nothing was left to chance. Wang Limin's requirements were rigorous. The materials, tones, shapes, rhythm of the animations, and placement of the motifs had to reflect her artistic essence. For all these reasons, the conversations between Wang Limin and Jaquet Droz, solely to define her project, continued throughout 2024 and 2025. Several avenues were explored. From China, Wang Limin validated the designs through Studio 8, an immersive workshop equipped with 4K cameras that allows each Jaquet Droz client to follow the genesis of their unique piece step by step. The teams also traveled to China to capture Wang Limin's artistry in the heart of her workshop, usually closed to the public.

For the creation of the Luo River Automaton, virtually all of Jaquet Droz's artisans were mobilized: engravers, sculptors, painters, lapidaries, gem setters, among other trades, and, of course, the watchmakers. The piece is an automaton that follows the purest Jaquet Droz tradition.

The central, fixed hour section features two red gold hands on an imperial jade dial, in a very light shade specially chosen by the artist. Except for a static, crescent-shaped disc beneath this dial, the entire outer ring is in motion (with a rotation every 30 seconds). This scene, both static and moving, is crafted from mother-of-pearl and decorated with a micro-vegetal paint that gives it the striking illusion of being engraved, which it is not.

It features several hand-chiseled gold water lilies. One of them has a stone set in its center. As the disc rotates, it undergoes a metamorphosis: violet or blue sapphire, or emerald. The effect accentuates the magic of these mysterious substitutions (a change every 10 seconds, barely perceptible). Opposite this water lily, the Kun, a giant fish from Chinese mythology laden with symbolism, moves to the rhythm of the animation: it swims in the pearly river, undulating its body and tail to advance during the 30 seconds of its complete rotation. Thanks to the two barrels dedicated to the animation, this animation can last up to four minutes, although the owner can interrupt it at will by pressing the button located at 3 o'clock. A large red gold appliqué crowns the entire scene. It depicts a team of water dragons pulling a winged chariot, a scene that evokes both dragon mythology and the dragon-ship of Luo Shen Fu, a symbol of the soul's journey and eternal love. The two elements of the appliqué—the team and the chariot—are fixed at three points to ensure their stability and elevation above the sphere, while the reins and straps, applied individually, are made at a scale the details are measured in tenths of a millimeter and are hand-painted.

Finally, and as a first for a unique piece by Jaquet Droz, Wang Limin personally insisted on handcrafting the case and strap of the Luo River Automaton herself. The artist explored various creative avenues and provided four unique versions, based on motifs designed specifically for this project. An absolute masterpiece, from the buckle to the dial.