18 JEWELLERY & WATCHES
THE ROLLING STONES AUTOMATON – ONLY WATCH
IT ’ S ONLY LOVE – AND I LIKE IT
Jaquet Droz has supported Only Watch right from the start . The firm ’ s piece is based around the colourful world of children at play , brought to life by the mechanical wonders of the Rolling Stones Automaton .
At the heart of the creation lies the desire to give the Rolling Stones Automaton a new face . The brief was to create a fun timepiece bringing to mind children at play with the kind of colours and movements that fascinate kids – and awaken the child in all of us .
Beneath the offset hours and minutes display at twelve o ’ clock , a first disc showcases the Stones ’ instruments , recalling their first records , their early concerts , and the first broken taboos . Ron Wood ’ s guitar and Charlie Watts ’ drum kit are instantly recognisable , and accompanied by Ron Wood ’ s and Keith Richards ’ other guitars . All the instruments have been crafted from gold blocks and painted , including Mick Jagger ’ s harmonica , just a few tenths of a millimetre across . The gear is arrayed on a satin black vinylcoloured disc replicating the LPs of the day .
The scene is surrounded by a second disc that comes to life when the pusher is activated , completing 8 rotations lasting 30 seconds each . The Stones ’ iconic tongue rises and falls , moving from left to right as it does so . The power reserve is shown at nine o ’ clock by a cam replicating the tonearm and stylus of a traditional record turntable . As it rotates , the brightly-coloured spiral creates an optical illusion just like a child ’ s spinning top . Each
colour has been hand-painted to match the Only Watch palette with artisanal skill , using only natural pigments ; each sits impeccably next to the next , without any physical separation .
In the centre of the piece , another Rolling Stones tongue glows in the dark , calling to mind the nightlight in a child ’ s bedroom .
“ Some watches tell time . Some tell a Story ”
THE ART OF LUXURY ISSUE 62 2024