Pierre Jaquet Droz founded his namesake company in 1738 as a manufacturer of automatons and watches mostly for the Chinese Emperor. The brand’s flagship timepiece arrived in 2002 in the Grande Seconde with its signature figure-eight dial layout. The 2010 Eclipse also proved another classic with its unique moon phase indicator. In 2015, Jaquet Droz won the GPHG Mechanical Exception Watch Prize with The Charming Bird, the first wristwatch to carry a singing bird automaton.
But besides its rich history and the entrepreneurial spirit of its founders, there are many other things that make Jaquet Droz very special and exclusive. From its signature figure-eight dial layout to its limited production of no more than 3,000 watches a year, Jaquet Droz masters certain watchmaking techniques like no other watch manufacture does.
Because we love Jaquet Droz here at WCL, we bring you eight of their watches that we absolutely love.
Jaquet Droz Ateliers d'Art Petite Heure Minute Tiger
The art of painting on the Jaquet Droz combines two incredible watchmaking techniques. Featuring an ivory 'Grand Feu' enamel dial with a miniature painting of the face of a tiger, this dial takes no less than a week to complete. Equipped with a 43 mm 18K red gold case, the watch is powered by the automatic Jaquet Droz calibre 2653.P with a power reserve of 68 hours. Available in a limited edition of 28 pieces the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d'Art Petite Heure Minute Tiger is delivered on a rolled-edge handmade brown alligator strap.
Sticker Price $32,200 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Chronograph Onyx
Cased in a generous 43 mm stainless steel case like its counterparts, the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Chronograph Onyx is a mono-pusher —monopussier— chronograph with a column-wheel mechanism. Monopusher chronographs are rare and very elegant. The beating heart of the Grande Seconde Off-Centered Chronograph Onyx is the in-house automatic calibre Jaquet Droz 26M5R.
Sticker Price $21,000 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic
While preserving the figure 8 shape that is its the aesthetic signature of Jaquet Droz, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One offers maximum transparency thanks to its sapphire dial for the seconds at 6 o’clock, while the hours and minutes are indicated in an 18K white gold hour circle with 18K white gold markers and blued steel hands. The 41.5 mm black ceramic case is exquisitely finished with a satin-brushed finish on the top and a high polish on the caseband and case back. The watch is delivered on a blue rolled-edge fabric strap with leather appliques.
Sticker Price $24,200 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Plasma Ceramic
The Grande Seconde Skelet-One Plasma Ceramic features a plasma ceramic 41.5 mm case exquisitely finished with a satin-brushed finish on the top and a high polish on the caseband and case back. The plasma ceramic case starts with a blank white ceramic piece that is heated with gas at more than 20,000 degrees Celsius in order to give it its anthracite-gray metallic sheen. The watch is delivered on a grey rolled-edge fabric strap with leather appliques.
Sticker Price $23,600 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième Titanium Grey
The iconic Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième is paving a novel aesthetic path with a 41 mm model in stainless steel with titanium grey sandblasted dial with blued accents. The date is displayed at 6 o’clock and the watch is powered by the automatic calibre Jaquet Droz 2660Q2 with open-worked oscillating weight and with a nearly three-day power reserve.
Sticker Price $9,500 USD for stainless steel and $20,000 USD for red gold. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième Matte Black
The iconic Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième is paving a novel aesthetic path with a 41 mm model in stainless steel with a stunning matte black grainy dial. The date is displayed at 6 o’clock and the watch is powered by the automatic calibre Jaquet Droz 2660Q2 with open-worked oscillating weight and with a nearly three-day power reserve.
Sticker Price $9,500 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième Red Gold
The iconic Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième is paving a novel aesthetic path with a 41 mm model in 18K red goldl with blue dial. The date is displayed at 6 o’clock and the watch is powered by the automatic calibre Jaquet Droz 2660Q2 with open-worked oscillating weight and with a nearly three-day power reserve.
Sticker Price $20,000 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
Jaquet Droz Ateliers d'Art Petite Heure Minute Lion
The art of painting on the Jaquet Droz combines two incredible watchmaking techniques. Featuring an ivory 'Grand Feu' enamel dial with a miniature painting of the face of a lion, this dial takes no less than a week to complete. Equipped with a 43 mm 18K red gold case, the watch is powered by the automatic Jaquet Droz calibre 2653.P with a power reserve of 68 hours. Available in a limited edition of 28 pieces the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d'Art Petite Heure Minute Lion is delivered on a rolled-edge handmade black alligator strap.
Sticker Price $32,200 USD. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
