When it comes to watches from Jaquet Droz, one has to remember that despite the technical innovation it showcases with its complex and refined movements, the brand has always reached for the finest aesthetics in terms of design beauty. Its Grande Seconde collection, with its signature figure-eight dial layout, is not only technically innovative in its mechanics but also one of the most iconic and easily recognizable designs in the watch industry overall.
With the launch of the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon in 2021, Jaquet Droz paves the way for a new artistic horizon by revealing a tourbillon through meticulous geometry. Working like an “architect of light,” the timepiece is developed with sculptural, modern, and powerful aesthetics in mind, as evidenced by its openworked mechanics.
Housed in a 41-mm case made of rose gold, the watch follows the same design principle as the Grande Seconde Skelet-One but in this model adds a tourbillon, poised in the top half of the movement. The matte black bridges, of the skeletonized movement offer the perfect contrast against the geometry of the tourbllon cage and the golden elements of the two openworked subdials.
The face of the watch consists of two “multi-tier” dials — one crafted from sapphire and displaying the seconds, minutes and hours on rings marked by gold indexes. The second dial, in smoky quartz, is almost invisible but gives the timepiece the classic figure-eight shape for which Jaquet Droz has become famous. When it comes to the dial of the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon, one can notice the role that light plays in creating its distinctive, architectural look, with varying levels of transparency and reflections on the dials and movement.
The Jaquet Droz 2625SQ automatic skeleton tourbillon movement beating at the heart of the watch is visible via both the dial and caseback. The reworking of the bottom plate allows the distribution of the circulating forces around the movement, making it sturdy enough to power such an elegant timepiece. Additionally, the rose-gold 18K skeletonized oscillating weight, visible from the back yet invisible from the dial side, provides the Skelet-One Tourbillon with an impressive seven-day power reserve.
Mounted on a rolled-edge, hand-made black alligator strap, the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon is likely to be limited in production (though no limited edition number has been announced), and priced upon request.
