Jaquet Droz has created something special with the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon. It’s just as much an artwork as it is a timepiece. This radically aesthetic geometric watch includes a tourbillon which is articulately revealed through the skeletonised dial. The timepiece paves the way for skeletonised watches, more importantly how to do it artistically.
Jaquet Droz is already well known for creating unique pieces that bring art together with function. Now they have gone a step further by displaying watchmaking precision and pushing the boundaries of skeleton movements to the extreme by creating a watch using the bare minimum amount of material, while still producing a lightweight yet sturdy piece. For the Maison, this skeleton structure is brand new to them. Having a very modern design, it features straight lines, angles, and symmetry.
The technicality of the skeleton design is matched equally by the highly precise tourbillon. The bridges of the tourbillon are done in matte black, while the cage of the tourbillon follows the same geometric patterns of the skeletonised dial. The triple cross shape on the cage will align itself perfectly with its bridges, once a minute.
Design:
The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon comes in a red gold 41mm case with possibly the largest opening in the dial, which gives a view of the complete movement of the watch. The dial is split into two parts, the top being the tourbillon and the seconds-hand display, the bottoms being the hour and minute hands, and the hour indices. The hour, minute, and seconds hands have been redesigned by Jaquet Droz to be much more slender and majestic. The hour indices on the bottom time display have been made with gold so it matches closely to the case.
The time display is also made from Swiss smoky quartz, making it appear to be see-through. This watch is all about transparency, so the see-through dial fits perfectly with this theme. The second’s dial is also hollowed out, with only the “seconds track” having a transparent display. Jaquet Droz has taken extra steps to make the watch have the 3D effect when looking directly upon ii, by playing with different degrees of transparency.
To ensure that the body of the watch is as sturdy as possible, the bottom plate has been completely reworked. What this does also is that it distributes the circulating forces around the movement and also allows as much light to pass through as possible.
From the case back we can see even more of the timepiece, such as the red gold 18k skeletonised oscillating weight. This can only be viewed from the back and it provides the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon with a staggering 7-day power reserve.
This piece has not been built to simply tell the time, but rather to evoke emotion. Pushing the boundaries of skeletonised movements, Jaquet Droz has created a work of art that tells a beautiful story of time.
Reference: J013523242
Specification:
- Case: 41mm, thickness 13.36mm
- Case Material: 18-karat red gold
- Dial: Sapphire dial, Indexes and dial fixing screws in 18-karat red gold
- Crystal: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
- Water resistance: 30 meters
- Movement: Jaquet Droz 2625SQ, self-winding skeleton tourbillon movement, black treatment, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, titanium tourbillon frame, single barrel, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight.
- Power reserve: minimum of 7 days (168 Hours)
- Strap: Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator, 18-karat red gold folding clasp
