Jaquet Droz previews an exceptional timepiece at Baselworld 2017 designed with a tourbillon that embodies a past-perfect fusion of its supreme mastery in mechanics and adornments.
Grande Seconde is the heart of the Jaquet Droz legend. A model harking back to the Enlightenment, this bold design was a permanent departure from watches that simply told time. Pierre Jaquet-Droz was the impetus behind time becoming a series of artistic moments of musings and journeys. The Grande Seconde carries the very essence of the 18th century when the brand known by its twin stars took flight.
Now Jaquet Droz is putting a new twist on these iconic lines to create a new standard in women's watches. Master craftsmen did this by choosing one of the most beautifully luminescent materials: mother-of-pearl. Fragile and delicate, it demands amazing dexterity to prevent chipping. With an age-old tradition of mineral dials, Jaquet Droz has all the expertise it needs to once again achieve flawlessness. The shimmering effects play off the gleam of red gold on the 39 mm case set with brilliant-cut diamonds plus the highlight on the dial and the folding clasp. Roman numeral indexes for hours and minutes are a touch of classicism in their own right, accentuating the blued-steel hands. Laid on a white satin strap, there is also a bit of mystery about the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl, like the gold oscillating weight adorned with white mother-of-pearl and the movement's bridges with a fanned Côtes de Genève design.
Priceless and discerning, the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl is an irresistibly feminine watch equipped with a tourbillon, one of the masterpieces of watchmaking complications. Countering the effects of gravity on the mechanics, tourbillons are a window into their own untold complexity. Like a tiny hypnotic sculpture deserving of high-precision surgery, this is the first time Jaquet Droz has given it a silicon balance spring and pallet horns. Flexible yet sturdy silicon is almost like a magical material that is rust-proof as well as insensitive to magnetism, non-extreme temperature changes and atmospheric pressure. The balance spring gives the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl unmatched time-telling precision. With a 7-day power reserve, the technological, stylish, invaluable, prodigious Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl comes in a limited edition of 88 pieces. The silhouette of the number is reminiscent of the dial's design imbued with the light of mother-of-pearl and the shimmer of diamonds.
A warmed up stage, a drum kit, a few guitars and a harmonica: “It’s only rock’n’roll!” Today, Jaquet Droz unveils the first out of the 23 unique timepieces to retrace the world of the Rolling Stones through motion. Beside the arm of a record player that hovers over a platinum album replica (the power reserve), a scene depicts their signature instruments in miniature paintings and gold thread. The external disc rotates up to 8 consecutive times for 30 seconds and is adorned with the albums that the collector will choose for his unique timepiece. At 9 o'clock, the iconic tongue beats rhythmically, from left to right and from top to bottom. “And I like it!”
After three years of work, Jaquet Droz and John Howe have developed an Art Watch dedicated to emotion, wonder and fantasy. Draped in gold and rare stones, their dragon has a record 9 distinct animations. Inside a 43 mm case, the piece is entirely handmade and can be customized almost without limit by the client. Thanks to a Studio in the heart of the Jaquet Droz head quarter, clients will be offered an immersive phygital experience that will allow them to witness the live creation of their timepieces. There is no series to be announced, only unique pieces.
The “Effinger” clock dated from 1783 and signed Jaquet-Droz, has been sold at CHF 256,000.-, which is more than three times the starting bid of CHF 70,000.-, during the Koller auction on March the 31st 2022.