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Miniaturist Rachel Jacot re-creates Earth in amazing detail for Ulysse Nardin's Moonstruck watches
The venerable watchmaker produced only 500 timepieces in 18-carat red gold and 500 in platinum for its new Moonstruck collection. Each bears the tiny, perfect worlds of the Solar System that Jacot painted, with Earth shown in startling detail.
Ulysse Nardin says these “astronomical” watches bear the distinct “DNA” of Dr Ludwig Oechslin, the famed watchmaker who created the Trilogy “time system” collectibles.
The Sun, Earth and Moon are depicted on the Moonstruck watches with scientific accuracy, right down to the phases of the moon and the global influence of lunar and solar gravitation, which affects the ebb and flow of the tides.
Jacot has thus far painted fewer than 100 of the made-to-order pieces, using a special eye scope to see the details. Few people in the world have the skill for this kind of work. It requires “many years of experience”, she told us, as well as passion.
“Nowadays it’s hard to find people with skill in both enamel and miniature painting,” Jacot said. “The knowledge might even be lost, because those who know the process keep it a secret and don’t want to pass it on.”
How long does it take to finish painting one watch?
Because it requires great skill, I need approximately 20 hours per piece. I work six or seven hours a day, taking little breaks, but it still affects my eyesight.
What type of paint do you use?
I use acrylics. I had the geographical pattern of the Earth printed out for me and then applied a little colour and compared, trying different ones until I found the right shade to match the pattern.
Sometimes we don’t use purchased colours but mix them ourselves to get the right ones.
In my initial application, I was looking at the pattern non-stop, but I’ve memorised it all now, even the mountains!
What’s the hardest part of the process?
Painting everything in the right location: The continents have to be in the exact position, since the moon and sun are rotating above them, although I can be more relaxed when painting the oceans.
When I finish one part or one continent, I bake the piece at 850 to 980 degrees for a few minutes to dry the colour. That way I don’t have to worry about accidentally smearing it as I work on the next section. If something goes wrong I have to start all over again.
We deliver a high quality of work – after me I have someone else to check everything.
How do you maintain such a level of perfection?
There are some days when I feel I’ve done one part better than another, just like normal working people when they have ups and downs. But, again, we have a team to control the quality after I finish painting.
What kind of feedback have you had so far?
We’ve received a lot of response to tell us we’ve been successful. The Moonstruck watch has two aspects: first, its technical information, and second, its miniature painting. Together they’ve made sure that we have clients on a waiting list!