Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Chronograph
Every year, releases its much-anticipated series of novelty timepieces, each one better than the next. For 2019, the Swiss watchmaker established in 1738 did not disappoint, with watches like the Tropical Bird Repeater, the Grande Seconde Dual Time, the Lady 8 Petite, and more.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Chronograph
New to the Grande Seconde collection, Jaquet Droz released the first ever Grande Seconde Chronograph. Up until this point, nearly every complication had been added to the Grande Seconde, which now comes as a monopusher chronograph. Three permanent iterations are available (each featuring a 43mm steel cases with a new sand-blasted finish, in either taupe gray, blue, or silver), all of which have been outfitted with an off-centered dial that offers a slightly more modernized look. The brand also created an 88-piece limited inaugural edition with a red gold case, a mix of Arabic and Roman numerals, and ivory enamel dials that keeps intact the Grande Seconde’s perfect figure 8 proportions.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Dual Time
Since travel holds historical significance for the Swiss watchmaker, it’s only expected they would continue working to create the perfect travel companion. Also part of the Grande Seconde collection, the new Grande Seconde Dual Time is well suited for the lover of a contemporary aesthetic, but serves as much more than just a sleek accessory. Featuring the iconic figure 8 dial, an alligator leather strap, and the option of four color combinations (including an onyx dial and stainless steel case and a red gold version with an ivory Grand Feu dial) the timepiece features a split display with your local time on top and home time below, as well as the an automatic date indicator, and a world map. Additionally, the Grande Seconde Dual Time’s self-winding mechanical movement is also one of the most precise in the world, and only needs adjusting once every 200 years.
Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater.
Added to the Automata collection, we saw two jaw dropping timepieces that seem to be more art than accessory. First, the brand created an ode to life and never-ending new beginnings with the Magic Lotus Automaton. In a new development, the Magic Lotus timepiece plays an animation running for more than four minutes—an unprecedented length. With a beautiful Zen garden for a backdrop, the watch depicts the eternal cycle of life, as a koi fish and a floating lotus flower revolve around the face, evoking each season as it turns. For spring, a mother of pearl button represents the lotus bud, and in the summer, a sparkling jewel appears at the center of the flower in bloom. Each time the lotus passes beneath the dial, it appears with a new stone, alternating a yellow sapphire, in turn with a ruby and blue sapphire. Available in red gold or white, the 43 mm watch has been limited to 28 pieces each. Other noteworthy details include the dragonfly, which rests on a lotus leaf when the power reserve is low, the hand engraved naturalist motifs on the sides and the oscillating weight, and the mother of pearl dial, which was painted by hand.
Jaquet Droz Magic Lotus Automaton
Created as a one-of-a-kind timepiece, we were introduced to an eye-catching iteration of the Tropical Bird Repeater—also new to the Automata watches. Embracing both Jaquet Droz’s naturalist legacy and its quality contemporary artistry, the piece has a tinted mother of pearl dial, hand painted and carved to create a shimmering pink-sheened animated tropical scene, complete with details like a peacock, hummingbird, toucan, and a waterfall, and a subdial set with 180 tiny baguette diamonds. Encased in 18-karat red gold, the 47 mm minute repeater also features a hand-wound movement, off-centered hours and minutes, a deep green alligator strap, and Super-LumiNova technology applied to a series of hand painted dragonflies.
Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater.
Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Smalta Clara
If you prefer a watch equal in beauty, yet slightly more subtle, the Petite Heure Minute Smalta Clara may just catch your attention. The newest member of the Ateliers d’Art timepieces, the 35 mm Smalta Clara has been imagined in two versions (one with blue tones and white gold, and another with red gold and warm brown tones), both featuring a dial surrounded by diamonds, an hour display off-centered at 2 o’clock, and a two-sided aesthetic depicting a tiger’s face. Appearing like stainless glass, the tiger was created using multiple cells and colors of enamel, separated by gold wire, and created as a standalone disc with no metal backing. The watch is fastened with a satin strap, color coordinated with the dial, and is available in a limited series of 28 pieces per variation.
Jaquet Droz Lady 8 Petite.
And finally, Jaquet Droz’s Lady collection saw two new versions of the Lady 8 Petite. Both with a delicate 25 mm case and a take on the figure 8 face (evocative of the Grande Seconde), the Lady 8 Petite comes in either a vivid mineral green malachite, or a glistening mother of pearl. For the malachite version, the green dial is accompanied by a red gold case set with nearly 70 diamonds, a malachite bead in the upper sector of the “8,” and a matching green leather strap. On the mother of pearl iteration, a wrap-around brown leather strap complements a stainless-steel dial, set with 41 diamonds, and an Akoya pearl placed at 12 o’clock.
Jaquet Droz Lady 8 Petite
