Category Archives: Jaquet Droz

jaquet droz petite minute heure lion closeup with caseback

PETITE HEURE MINUTE LION

WHEN CRAFTSMANSHIP BECOMES ART

Watch dials are sometimes the ideal medium for artistic creation. The art of painting has pride of place in the tradition of the watchmaking firm.

The creations in the Les Ateliers d’Art collection highlight the experience and skill of the Jaquet Droz craftsmen and women. Their talents can be found on the dial of the Petite Heure Minute Lion. As the name of the timepiece suggests, here the king of the jungle takes centre stage. The dial is made of an usually deep black “Grand Feu” enamel, providing an ideal background for the miniature painting. The contrast sets up varied tones and highlights the feline. Its mane seems to come to life in the light. The animal’s intense gaze shines out. To achieve such levels of realism, this masterpiece was painstakingly hand-painted with the help of very fine brushes – some of them having a single bristle with the thickness of a hair. Since this is a limited edition of just 28 numbered pieces, each model is truly unique.

jaquet droz petite minute heure lion closeup with casebackPrice: 32,900 EUR jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz petite heure minute smalta clara closeup both views

PETITE HEURE MINUTE SMALTA CLARA

THE EYE OF THE TIGER

One of fine watchmaking’s vocations is to showcase expertise and the new limited edition from Jaquet Droz does just that with its fabulous plique-à-jour enamel dial.

The basic premise of a watch is to tell the time but its dial can be the perfect place to showcase an artisan technique. Jaquet Droz has the perfect tool to accomplish this mission: the Petite Heure Minute collection with its off-centre hour and minute disc. Myriad techniques such as engraving, painting, eggshell mosaic, Grand Feu and champlevé enamel have previously adorned this space which is free of time features so the artisans can unleash their imagination. This is the first time that plique-à jour enamel, smalta clara in Latin, has been used to finish a layout fragmented into slices of colour and different shapes all separated by gold partitions. The puzzle brings to life a roaring tiger once the pieces have been put together. It takes the artisan four days to finish a dial that shines as brightly as a stained-glass window with a hundred diamonds on the bezel that only enhance the glow.

jaquet droz petite heure minute smalta clara closeup both viewsThe hands gliding over the white mother-of-pearl dial on the 38mm Petite Heure Minute Smalta Clara are fuelled by a self-winding movement which provides a 38-hour power reserve. An unassuming crown at 2 enables you to wind the watch and set the time.

There are two limited edition models (28 available): a white gold one with a blue tiger and a red gold one with a yellow and brown big cat. Both come with a satin strap to match the dial colour.

Price on request jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz parrot repeater pocket watch box

PARROT REPEATER POCKET WATCH

A WONDERFUL WORLD

To celebrate its 280th anniversary, the watchmaker-magician from La Chaux-de-Fonds has brought together all the skills to be found in its workshops to create a unique piece with a precious and delicate illustration of a family of parrots.

The art of enchantment has undeniably been the main talent of Jaquet Droz for the past 280 years. The brand with headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland rose to fame thanks to the genius of its founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) and particularly to his work on automata in the 1730s and 1740s – above all, the famous trio of the Writer, the Draughtsman and the Musician in 1774. Above and beyond the technical skills involved in each item produced by the company, the driving force behind Jaquet Droz is something simple and sincere: emotion. From the small workshop opened by Pierre Jaquet-Droz in 1738 to the firm we know today, the aim has been a wish to surprise, to enchant, to speak directly to the heart, like in the masterpiece made for the 280th anniversary, the Parrot Repeater Pocket Watch.

jaquet droz parrot repeater pocket watch boxThe 56mm-wide red-gold case made up of two covers has been sculpted, painted, covered in “Grand Feu” enamel and coated in a rainbow of precious stones (yellow diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pink, yellow and blue sapphires). It houses the calibre RMA88, a hand-wound mechanical movement driving the hours and minutes on the off-centred mother-of-pearl dial and providing 48 hours of power reserve. The double minute repeater that rings on the hour, quarter of an hour and each minute, and the automata bringing life to the family of parrots, is activated using a pull-out piece placed at 9 o’clock on the side of the case.

Single piece jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde off centered meteorite closeup

GRANDE SECONDE OFF-CENTERED METEORITE

METEORITE HUNTER

Jaquet Droz’s love for nature and the world around us takes the brand to the stars where the celestial bodies giving rise to meteorites are born. Three limited-edition watches have resulted from this fascination for space.

Even though today we know a little bit more about the solar system, let’s go back in time to the 18th century, when the watchmaker-magician Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) was born. At that time, instruments used to peer up above the clouds did exist, but they were few in number and mainly reserved to the scientific elite. To look at the stars, the most simple thing to do – and this is still the case today – is to raise your eyes to the night sky and see them shine. This fascination for the immensity of space continues is still one of the greatest mysteries today and can be seen on the dial of three Grande Seconde Off-Centred Meteorite watches made by Jaquet Droz.

jaquet droz grande seconde off centered meteorite closeupThe Grande Seconde Off-Centred Meteorite family is available in two sizes of red-gold case – the first 39mm wide, with the optional extra of 256 diamonds, and the second 43mm. The time functions are brought to life by the automatic JD 2663.P and 2663A.P calibres, which are equipped with a red-gold rotor and a double barrel, and provide a power reserve of 68 hours.

Price: 24,550 CHF (39 mm) – 26,700 CHF (43 mm) – 33,950 CHF (39 mm jewelled)  jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde tribute details

GRANDE SECONDE “HOMMAGE“

CLOTHED IN LIGHT

Enhancing the layout of a legendary dial, Jaquet Droz has provided a new, refined combination with warm tones, like a golden sheath.

First launched in 2002, the Grande Seconde is now the aesthetic flagship for Jaquet Droz’s contemporary watches. Available in a wide range of materials – red gold, ceramic, steel – the model now comes with a 43mm-wide yellow-gold case. This limited edition of 88 pieces was introduced at Baselworld 2018 and celebrates the 280th anniversary of the brand in unique style. On the ivory-coloured “Grand Feu” enamel dial of the Grande Seconde “Hommage”, we can see the very distinctive layout that helps it stand out from the other designs available on the watch market. At 12 o’clock, a disc displays Roman and Arabic numerals with the hour and minute hands. In the lower part of the dial, a larger, off-centred circle displays the sub-seconds. The two geometric shapes overlap to form a figure 8. This artistic display also provides excellent readability.

jaquet droz grande seconde tribute detailsThe time is displayed with the help of an automatic movement. With its two barrels, the calibre 2663 provides the watch with 68 hours of power reserve. The yellow-gold rotor that is visible through the sapphire caseback is enhanced by a hand-made guilloché pattern and by two engraved stars, another of Jaquet Droz’s symbols.

This elegant model comes with a strap made of blue alligator leather. It can be worn beneath the sleeves of a made-to-measure shirt and jacket or with a “casual chic” outfit.

Price: 21,900 EUR jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz lady 8 petite 2018 closeup

LADY 8 PETITE

WITH SHINING EYES

There are four models – one with two kinds of strap – in the new Lady 8 Petite collection. Delicate and luminous, these watches by Jaquet Droz borrow the brand’s signature aesthetic features, but without lacking their own personality.

Wonder is an art that the brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds has mastered from its early beginnings in the workshop founded by Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) in 1738. Each new piece, many of which are introduced at BaselWorld, is a moment of magic. Whether you are young or old, expert or amateur, the beauty of Jaquet Droz watches is breathtaking – it is hard not to be touched by their charm. This is the case of the Lady 8 Petite watch, inspired by the Lady 8 that was launched some five years back. While this new, smaller watch borrows its predecessor’s features, it has no lack of charisma.

jaquet droz lady 8 petite 2018 closeupThe Lady 8 Petite comes with three different dials, with the hour rim made up of black and white dots: an aventurine and navy blue surface peppered with silvery sequins; a white mother-of-pearl dial with iridescent reflections, highlighted by the brilliance of the diamonds; and the copper-champagne coloured mother-of-pearl version.

On this new Jaquet Droz watch, the straps help towards the overall aesthetic appeal, thanks to the double-looped strands made of black or blue grained veal skin or brown glazed satin alligator leather, first and foremost. Then (and above all!) there are bejewelled straps made of pink gold set with 192 diamonds and Akoya pearls and half-round pearls or jade.

Price from 14,800 CHF (jewelled steel version and mother-of-pearl with leather) to 95,050 CHF (jewelled pink gold and jade version) jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz grande seconde skeleton caseback

GRANDE SECONDE SKELET ONE

THE ART OF TRANSPARENCY

For Baselworld 2018, Jaquet Droz introduced a new skeleton watch made of gold or ceramic in the Grande Seconde collection.

Since it was first launched, the Grande Seconde collection by Jaquet Droz has delighted fans with some high-class timepieces. All the watches share a unique signature design – a graphic representation of the number 8 on two offset discs on the dial, symbolising infinity. For the first time, a skeleton watch has joined the collection, while still respecting the original design feature. So, out goes the traditional dial and in comes an openwork design. At 12 o’clock, the hour and minute hands move above a decor featuring the watch mechanism. They point to elegant Roman and Arabic numerals placed on a rim made of grey gold or ceramic, depending on the version. The second hand makes its way around a sapphire surface. Below, the visible structure of the bridges with black coating weave their web.

jaquet droz grande seconde skeleton casebackThe Grande Seconde Skelet One comes with an alligator leather strap and a tang buckle.

Price: 24,700 EUR (ceramic) – 34,300 EUR (red or white gold) jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz grande seconde moon email noir movement

GRANDE SECONDE MOON BLACK ENAMEL

THE UNIQUE RADIANCE OF THE MOON

Just a few weeks away from BaselWorld, the brand with two stars has released an interpretation of the queen of the night that is both intense and poetic, and engraved on a black Grand Feu enamel dial.

Jaquet Droz has captured the moon, that luminous body that comes out at night to inspire the poets, and placed it on the dial of its flagship model, the Grande Seconde. And to throw greater relief on the moon, the watchmakers have coated the dial with black enamel, creating a strong contrast of colours. The russet moon is magnified by the strikingly deep black on the Grande Seconde Moon Black Enamel.

jaquet droz grande seconde moon email noir movement

True to the aesthetic style of Jaquet Droz, this model features the famous 8 on the dial, with the silhouette drawn by the interlacing of two counters. The hour rim near 12 o’clock is the upper loop of the brand’s favourite number, while the moon phase embodies the lower loop. The hours and minutes are displayed with the help of two small lancine-style hands, while the second hand features a “moon” tip counterweight. A red-varnish tipped hand indicates the date on a polished pink gold ring at 6 o’clock. The moon phase is shown by an engraved pink gold moon on a disc of black onyx along with a shower of stars.

The watch is powered by the automatic calibre 2660QL3, providing 68 hours of autonomy and housed in a 43mm-wide pink gold case.

Price: 29,700 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz petite heure minute cuprite closeup

JAQUET DROZ – PETITE HEURE MINUTE CUPRITE

BURNING PASSION

With its deep red dial, the Petite Heure Minute by Jaquet Droz displays both a warm and fiery temperament. Just like the passion felt at the beginning of a love affair.

There is no need to master the language of flowers to know that a red rose symbolises the passion felt by one person for another. And the more flowers there are in the bouquet, the more intense is the emotion. With stones, the same is true: in the realm of lithotherapy (healing with stones), each colour of mineral expresses a feeling. Jaquet Droz, a watchmaker that excels in using natural stones on the dials of its watches, has taken advantage of the imminence of Valentine’s Day to launch the Petite Heure Minute Cuprite.

jaquet droz petite heure minute cuprite closeup

It is impossible for this new watch, available in just 28 pieces, to go unnoticed. With its flamboyant dial set off by diamonds and pink gold, it will inevitably attract attention.

The dial on the Petite Heure Minute Cuprite is a disc made of cuprite, a copper oxide in mineral form. This stone with a generally deep red colour is sometimes streaked with lighter veins and emerald-green cavities, which is the case on the dial of this Jaquet Droz watch. A second, smaller disc made of white mother-of-pearl and encircled with a gilded ribbon, houses a pair of lancine-style hands to show the hours and minutes.

As for the pink-gold case – a fine jewel setting – it is 35mm wide and edged with 232 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.23 carat). The case back is adorned by a sapphire glass unveiling the dance of the automatic JD2653.P gold rotor, which has a double barrel and provides 68 hours of power reserve.

Price: 33,500 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin

jaquet droz phm dog 2018 closeup

JAQUET DROZ – PETITE HEURE MINUTE RELIEF DOG PETITE HEURE MINUTE DOG

FROM BEIJING TO LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS

Closely linked to Chinese culture since the 18th century, Jaquet Droz is perpetuating Eastern astrological traditions with two models in its Ateliers d’Art collection.

A long, long time ago, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the founder of the brand of the same name, made a long and dangerous journey that took him all the way to China to show off his famous automata. Since then, the culture of this distant country has remained deeply engraved in the Jaquet Droz archives, but also in the current collections, especially the Ateliers d’Art collection that has now been joined by two new models. The Petite Heure Minute Relief Dog and Petite Heure Minute Dog pay homage to the 11th sign in the Chinese astrological calendar, the dog. Each version is available in 28 pieces.

jaquet droz phm dog 2018 closeup

In the magical hands of the Jaquet Droz craftsmen, man’s best friend, known for its loyalty, generosity and energy, has become the main character in a poetic history. The dog is embodied by a Pekingese with a black and white coat, and makes its way across a “Grand Feu” enamel dial, where blades of tall grass or peonies (on the Petite Heure Minute Dog model) have been delicately painted. This miniature picture is discreetly dominated by a couple of red-gold hands showing the hours and the minutes, and driven by the automatic 2653P movement.

We can see the faithful pet in relief, a miniature sculpture made of yellow or white gold, framed by plants and set on a cuprite disc on the Petite Heure Minute Relief Dog model. This flamboyant mineral with its sometimes mahogany or purple reflections evokes the colour red, a symbol of luck and happiness, and very much present in Chinese culture. Two small, off-centred dials at 12 o’clock, one made of onyx decorated with golden hands and the other made of white mother-of-pearl with blued steel hands, display the hours and minutes. These functions are driven by the calibre 2653Si, which is hidden in a grey-gold case set with diamonds or made of red gold.

Price from 31,150 CHF to 79,950 CHF jaquet-droz.com

By Sharmila Bertin