[dropcap size=small]H[/dropcap]aving already turned birds and butterfl ies into moving spectacles in previous automaton watches including The Charming Bird and Lady 8 Flower, it was only a matter of time before Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s most famous sketch – that of a cherub in a chariot pulled by a butterfly – got the same treatment. After three years spent developing this patent-pending automaton mechanism, The Loving Butterfly is finally here.

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Pushing the button in the crown will start the 90-second long animation, with the butterfly wings flapping 2.5 times a second while the chariot wheel rotates. You can stop it at any time by simply pushing the button again, and turning the crown counter-clockwise will wind the automaton mechanism.

All 40 parts of the automaton have been hand-engraved in-house, from the precariously fine butterfl y antennae to the slender trees that measure just 0.2mm wide. The trees are attached to the dial in the same way watch hands are; this technique is one of the features that the brand is patenting.

It is available in a 43mm case in 18K red gold with an onyx dial, or white gold with a mother-of-pearl dial. Only 28 pieces are available in either metal.