Category Archives: Jaquet Droz

jaquet droz grande seconde dual time closeup

GRANDE SECONDE DUAL TIME

THE TRAVELING SOUL

An ideal travel companion for elegant globetrotters, the travel watch from the watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds offers a new face that encourages people to never put down their suitcases again.

Traveling is a way of life. To preserve his temporal landmarks, Jaquet Droz revisits the esthetics of his Grande Seconde Dual Time without distorting its spirit. While the layout of the two time zones remains identical with the emblematic 8-shaped dial, the complication dedicated to the second time zone located in the lower part changes markedly. A representation of the continents in the form of a polar azimuthal projection now serves as a backdrop. A powdered finish helps the land stand out from the polished surface of the oceans. To make it easier to read the domestic time, a red triangle points to the 24-hour indication carried by a disc now segmented in two distinct colors, white for day and black for night. The local time can always be read at the top of the dial on an hour circle made up of Roman numerals. Its time jump setting ensures ease of use for the traveler upon arriving at the destination.

jaquet droz grande seconde dual time closeupAll versions are powered by the 2663H24 caliber. In addition to the hours and minutes, this self-winding movement with 65 hours of power reserve orchestrates a date with a fine hand recognizable by its red tip. The sapphire caseback also reveals the stylized oscillating weight. Each Grande Seconde Dual Time comes with a leather strap.

Price: 15,200 CHF (steel) – 25,500 CHF (red gold) jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz petite heure minute rat handcraft

PETITE HEURE MINUTE RAT

THE RODENT AND THE POMEGRANATE

At the end of January, a new cycle in the Chinese calendar will begin, the year of the Rat, a curious, alert little rodent that the watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds is honoring with four new references in the Les Ateliers d’Art collection.

The year 2020, starting on January 25 to be exact, is the year of the Rat, the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac. Since the dawn of time, this rodent has been admired in Asia for its mental alertness and imagination, its intuition, its curiosity and its ambition. In four new versions of the famous Petite Heure Minute with a simple display of the time basics in the upper section of the dial, Jaquet Droz poetically depicts the little animal along with another powerful image of Oriental culture, the pomegranate, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.

jaquet droz petite heure minute rat handcraftFor the “relief“ versions, the case comes in white gold with diamonds on the lugs and rehaut, or in red gold. A black onyx disc covers the dial with a cluster of fleshy pomegranates (at 2 o’clock), an open fruit whose seeds are represented by rubies positioned using the snow-setting technique (at 9 o’clock) and, of course, a rat in sculpted gold holding a large ruby in its claws. At 12 o’clock, a silver or gold ring surrounds the hour and minute display.

Price: 31’150 CHF (39mm red gold) – 38’150 CHF (35mm red gold setting) – 71’300 CHF (41mm red gold) – 91’900 CHF (41mm white gold setting) jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz lady 8 petite malachite closeup

LADY 8 PETITE MALACHITE

THE POWER OF GREEN

Deep and vibrant, emerald green malachite has been incorporated into the dial of the rose gold Lady 8 Petite paying homage to nature and mineral art, two realms that Jaquet Droz holds dear to its heart.

Unearthing our beautiful planet’s sometimes hidden gems is second nature to Jaquet Droz which loves to exalt them on its watches. Flora and fauna are therefore found on the faces of various models with the finesse and elegance that are typical of the watchmaker based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. La Lady 8 Petite is one of its prestigious ambassadors, a poetic jewelry watch which loves to adopt nature’s myriad treasures as its own. Created in 2018, this version of the Lady 8 has this year opted for an ancient decorative stone: malachite.

jaquet droz lady 8 petite malachite closeupAs with the Grande Seconde, an unmistakable piece from the collections of Jaquet Droz, it has a unique visual signature: the lucky number 8 which in this case is picked out in the profile of its 25 mm case made of red gold set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds and punctuated with malachite marble at 12 o’clock. The same stone sculpted into a cabochon adorns the crown at 3 o’clock.

The most important part of the time display is regulated by the 6150 caliber which vibrates at a frequency of 21,600 oscillations per hour and provides a power reserve of 38 hours.

This graceful piece comes with a green alligator strap completed with a red gold pin buckle set with 23 diamonds.

Price: 27,000 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde chronograph enamel dial

GRANDE SECONDE CHRONOGRAPH

8 TELLS THE TIME

The masterful Grande Seconde now has a mono-pusher chronograph with each indication carefully considered so that it preserves the balance of Jaquet Droz’s lucky number

In 1785, Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) designed a pocket watch in a pared-down style which provided an unprecedented time display. On the dial, the hours and minutes were pushed to the back while the seconds were given pride of place, with everything forming the perfect loops of a figure of 8. The symbol of infinity and eternity, this masterpiece was reinterpreted by Jaquet Droz in the 2000s before becoming the face of the brand. With new complications added over the years, it now has a mono-pusher chronograph which demonstrates a technical and aesthetic feat in preserving the brand’s lucky number. The Grande Seconde Chronograph is available in two versions: the classic version with its ivory Grand Feu enamel dial and red gold case and a contemporary version with the 8 off center and a steel case.

jaquet droz grande seconde chronograph enamel dialFor the modern version, the sandblasted dial is offered in three shades – silver, blue, or taupe – highlighted with blued or rhodium-treated hands.

So as not to clutter the profile of the 43 mm case, the Grande Seconde Chronograph has a single push button to start, stop and reset the chronograph located in the crown at 3 or 4 o’clock.

Price: 20,000 CHF (steel version) – 31,900 CHF (limited edition in red gold) jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz magic lotus automaton closeup

MAGIC LOTUS AUTOMATON

A MAGICAL GARDEN

With this miniature naturalist scene, the brand with twin stars transports us to a Zen garden, where time moves by before our astonished eyes. Craftsmanship and mechanical skill combine to create a magical timepiece.

This latest work, which combines Jaquet Droz’s artistry and mechanical expertise, is so stunning that there are no words to accurately describe its beauty. With the Magic Lotus Automaton, the Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker infuses all of its poetic sensibilities into a fantastic scene where fauna and flora live peacefully. Lily pads and lotus flowers float across the blue ripples of a pond and a delicate dragonfly flies over a Zen garden in concert with an undulating carp.

jaquet droz magic lotus automaton closeupThe white mother-of-pearl dial is divided into three tableaux. The first is a gold-bordered onyx dial, offset at 12 o’clock, which the lance-shaped hour and minute hands skim over. The second is a fixed disk with reeds and three lotus flowers crafted out of embossed and enameled gold. The final section is an outer ring with two animations: a carp (koi in Japanese) which seems to sweep the water with its tail, then dives and resurfaces, and a lotus flower with a center that alternates between different-colored stones (blue, yellow and ruby sapphires) each time it passes under the timekeeping dial.

This new timepiece from Jaquet Droz, for which four patent applications have been filed, comes to life thanks to the 2653 AT2 automatic caliber, which delivers a 68-hour power reserve, and the hand-winding automaton mechanism which powers a remarkable four-minute animation (eight full rotations of 30 seconds each). All of this is housed in a 43 mm red or gray gold casing of which 28 of each option are available.

Price: 216,000 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde moon swiss serpentinite dial closeup

GRANDE SECONDE MOON SWISS SERPENTINITE

THE MATTERHORN ON YOUR WRIST

The watchmakers from La Chaux-de-Fonds pay homage to their native land in this limited edition with a dial made from rock taken from the Matterhorn, the Alpine peak that is one of the symbols of Switzerland.

Nature was always at the heart of the work of Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790). Two of the specialities that made his reputation were singing birds and the use of rocks and minerals as ornamental gems. And gemstones can still be found on the dials of some watches by Jaquet Droz, the brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as for example in the limited edition Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite.

jaquet droz grande seconde moon swiss serpentinite dial closeupJust 88 models are available, exclusively reserved for the Swiss market. The dial features a disc made of serpentinite, a metamorphic rock with a yellowish or dark green colour, and a look and feel a little like a snake’s scales. The rock was taken from the abrupt slopes of the Matterhorn. This pyramid-shaped summit rises to an altitude of 4,478m. It is not only the 12th highest mountain in the Alps, but is also a symbol of Switzerland. The serpentinite decorating the dial on the Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite produces an effect of depth due to the many veins running across it.

On this uneven surface, two sub-dials circled with silver form the outline of a figure 8 – the other Jaquet Droz symbol – with the two loops of different sizes: the hours and minutes are displayed with two lancine-type hands near 12 o’clock, while the seconds are at 6 o’clock. A large sub-dial contains two other complications, a date with a hand tipped in red and a moon phase decorated with white-gold stars.

These features are powered by a self-winding calibre, the JD2660QL3, which is housed in a 43mm-wide steel case and generates a power reserve of 68 hours.

Price: 18,800 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz lady petite ruby heart caseback

LADY 8 PETITE RUBY HEART

PASSIONATELY 8!

True to its love for minerals and gems, the watchmakers based in La Chaux-de-Fonds have used jewel-cutting techniques to decorate one of its ladies models in a passionate red colour. An ode to love to wear on the wrist.

Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) was captivated by the beauty of nature and the treasures to be found in it. He always turned to the natural world when decorating his watchers and other timepieces, striving to make real poems to time. His lyrical flame has been constantly kept alive by the “brand with two stars” based in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, as is shown in the new Lady 8 Petite Ruby Heart. This version of a model launched almost one year ago by Jaquet Droz is truly an ode to love, as its release comes just a few days before Valentine’s Day.

jaquet droz lady petite ruby heart casebackThe Lady 8 Petite Ruby Heart is powered by the calibre JD 615, an automatic movement supplying 38 hours of power reserve. The mechanism runs at 21,600 vibrations an hour and is housed in a 25mm-wide rose-gold case shaped like a number 8, delicately highlighted by a line of 68 diamonds.

This new model by Jaquet Droz is worn with an alligator leather strap matching the dial and a rose-gold folding clasp covered with 23 diamonds.

Price: 28,950 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde skeleton one ceramic caseback

GRANDE SECONDE SKELET-ONE CERAMIC

A TOUCH OF BLUE

In 2018, the Skelet-One combined ceramics and red gold. The year, the model is back with a sublime chromatic design that is both sophisticated and modern.

Last year, Jaquet Droz moved out of its traditional comfort zone, where the brand so excels, with the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic, a watch with a striking design and no dial. The curves and design of the open-work architecture played on the light to help bring out the time display. The watchmakers have continued to explore this aesthetic path with a new model. As its name implies, the 41.5mm-wide case is again made of a high-tech material that is almost impossible to scratch, as well as being harder and lighter than steel. A dynamic coating gives it an anthracite tone that highlights its contemporary feel. The bridges are the same colour and stretch out like a spider’s web to hold the calibre’s components captive. In this monochrome world, the hour and minute hands move around a steel disc, while the off-centred second hand turns above a translucent sapphire surface. The three blued hands perfectly stand out in an uncluttered staging for optimal readability.

jaquet droz grande seconde skeleton one ceramic casebackTo make it ideal for all occasions and to match any clothing style, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic comes with a blue fabric strap and a folding clasp.

Price: 24,850 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz grande heure minute closeup

GRANDE HEURE MINUTE

A PACIFIC FACE

The simple design on the dial is one of the trademarks of the brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and the two new Grande Heure Minute watches from the Astrale collection are no exception.

Although Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) forged his reputation in the 18th century with an ornamental approach to watchmaking, he also provided a finely honed and avant-garde vision of time with the dial on his Grande Seconde pocket watch, made in 1785. This piece with its simple and elegant structure has proved to be one of Jaquet Droz brand’s major models. The same pacific beauty can be found on the dial of the two new Grande Heure Minute watches in the Astrale collection.

jaquet droz grande heure minute closeupThe functions in the Grande Heure Minute models are powered by the calibre Jaquet Droz 1169.Si. The automatic movement is housed in a 43mm-wide steel case and runs at the standard frequency of 4Hz. Equipped with two barrels, it supplies a power reserve of 68 hours.

The version with a darker dial is available with a slate-grey alligator leather strap and a steel tang buckle. But to create a strong colour contrast, the light-coloured dial is matched with a black alligator strap.

Price: 8,650 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz lady 8 flower 2018 blu dial

LADY 8 FLOWER

WINTER FLOWER

The very poetic new watches from the Lady 8 Flower collection bring beauty to floral art, enhanced by a series of decorative craft techniques. A pure moment of wonder harmoniously orchestrated by Jaquet Droz.

In his lifetime, Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) charmed the public with an approach to clockmaking that was both ornamental and mechanical, especially with the presentation of his famous android automata, The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician in 1774. The astonishment inspired by these three masterpieces is an emotion that Jaquet Droz, the modern company, continues to foster through such masterly works as the Lady 8 Flower. The poetic collection of women’s automata watches was launched in 2015 and today is being expanded to include two new models, with just 8 of each produced.

jaquet droz lady 8 flower 2018 blu dialThese charm-filled timepieces by Jaquet Droz are driven by the calibre JD615, running at a gentle frequency of 21,600 vibrations an hour and providing a power reserve of 38 hours.

Price: 178,200 CHF  jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin