THE GRANDE SECONDE MOON LIMITED EDITION DUBAI

Jaquet Droz celebrates Dubai with a model combining the singularity of its dial with the identity of the capital and its eponymous state.

There are 1001 ways to pay tribute to the United Arab Emirates and its famed city. Beyond the heraldic reproductions, the path taken by Jaquet Droz testifies to its creativity and its deep respect for Dubai's heritage.

First, there is the highly symbolic choice of the piece: the Grande Seconde Moon. This collection places the Moon at the heart of the Grande Seconde’s emblematic design. The choice of a Moon Phase for this Fine Watchmaking limited series owes nothing to chance. It symbolizes the direct link between astronomy and watchmaking. Indeed, it was by observing the stars that scientists then watchmakers laid the foundations for the measurement of time. For that matter, many of them used an astrolabe for this purpose – the renowned instrument of astronomical observation and calculation, which saw its usage peak in the Arab-Islamic world beginning in the 8th century. Today, the Grande Seconde Moon Limited Edition Dubai pays tribute to this long tradition with an hour’s circle marked by Arabic numerals, themselves positioned above a silvery opaline dial with blued hands.

Next, there is the choice of bloodstone, a mineral rarely used in watchmaking, for the stone on which the Moon Phase is displayed. Jaquet Droz craftsmen used their skill and expertise to create an extremely thin disc that preserves the intensity of the stone’s green color and each of its flecks of red.

These two hues – green and red – recall the colors of the flags of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Featured at the heart of the Grande Seconde Moon, they offer a striking contrast to its 22-carat gold Moon alongside starry appliques, also crafted from 18-carat white gold. Bloodstone was equally chosen for its scientific name, “heliotrope” (meaning “turned to the sun”), as the Moon always faces the sun from the same side.

There are many properties associated with bloodstone. It provides help in life’s most difficult moments, such as times of uncertainty or discouragement, offering general stability. Bloodstone warms the heart and offers protection against negativity.

The choice of this stone falls in line with the great Jaquet Droz tradition of mineral dials, one of the eight fundamental codes of the brand. Rocks, crystals and minerals are reminders that nature is capable of works of art, which the Maison works by hand to reveal their brilliance. Every fragment of bloodstone is unique, just like every Grande Seconde Moon.

To bring the watch to life and offset the standard error of a 59-tooth movement (an error of one day approximately every two years and eight months), Jaquet Droz has developed a self-winding mechanical movement equipped with the “mechanism 135” Moon Phase complication to ensure the movement maintains perfect accuracy for 122 consecutive years. The astronomical Moon Phase is set using a discreet corrector positioned on the case at 8 o’clock. This limited series will be made up of only 28 pieces (numerus clausus).

Embodying the versatility of a design created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz nearly 280 years ago, the Grande Seconde Moon Limited Edition Dubai – unveiled at the brand new Jaquet Droz boutique in the famous Dubai Mall located in the heart of the city – respects the aesthetic codes of its predecessor by infusing them with an additional soul from the reaches of the most famous Emirates state.

“Some watches tell time, some tell a story”

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