The mysterious continent of Africa represented a mine of inspiration for Louis Cartier who did not hesitate to imbue their jewellery and watches with hints of the exotic. With the apparition of discreet black onyx spots of a panther on a diamond Cartier watch in 1914, the famed jewellery house not only established the panther as their creative emblem, it heralded the beginning of Cartier’s long history of creating animal-themed jewellery, watches and clocks, inspired by the fauna of all continents.



This is the background from which emerged the most heavily bejeweled clock of the collection. Adorned with a vividly coloured gem-set parrot spreading its wings while perched on a stand, this timepiece is a veritable masterpiece of haute joaillerie. Reminiscent of the Duchess of Windsor’s famous flamingo and the beautifully sculpted menagerie of birds and animals portrayed in the watch collection of Le Cirque Animalier, this exquisite parrot clock set with almost 250 carats of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, yellow and white diamonds, reaffirms Cartier’s historic virtuosity in the creation of modeled animals and the abundant creativity of their designers.



The present clock is set with 240 diamonds weighing approximately 6.40 carats, 1248 yellow diamonds weighing approximately 29.90 carats, 1147 rubies weighing approximately 87.00 carats, 102 emeralds weighing approximately 81.00 carats and 382 sapphires weighing approximately 45.60 carats.



The present example is illustrated in Le Temps de Cartier by Jader Barracca, Giampiero Negretti and Franco Nencini, p. 338.