An Intimate Look At The New Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Moon
Two circles within one large circle: many of Jaquet Droz’s watches are based on this design principle, which has always resulted in stylish watches, which stood out, but always in a refined way. With the new Grande Seconde Moon, the brand takes this concept to the next level. Time for a closer look!
As the name already indicates does this Jaquet Droz display the seconds in an oversized way, by means of its own subdial at the six o’clock position. This subdial is, in fact, larger than the subdial that displays the hours and minutes and that is the charm of this model.
For the Moon version, the second’s hand must share its subdial with a pointer date as well as a moon phase. While adding only the moon phase would have made the watch more pure in terms of design (another aspect Jaquet Droz excels in) the pointer date greatly increases the day-to-day functionality. By displaying the dates on a sloped ring surrounding the moon phase, it highlights this complication in a novel way, integrating the date function almost seamlessly.
The moon phase is, however, the real star of the show. Jaquet Droz offers the Grande Seconde Moon in three different versions: here we have the stainless steel onyx version, as well as the gold enamel version. There is also another one with a steel case, featuring an opaline dial. Jaquet Droz incorporates the different materials in a very creative way.
The stainless steel version has an onyx dial. Dials made from semi-precious gemstone are still rare, and that is because they are not only precious but also very difficult to make, as you have to slice off a thin disc of Onyx from a consistent quality, to make the perfect dial. For this watch also the moon disc is made from onyx, while the moon and stars are crafted from white gold. It gives this watch a very deep, rich, yet understated look.
The red gold encased Grande Seconde Moon is like milk and honey, with the case being the honey and the enamel dial the milk. Here the moon phase disc is made from gold, which is later on blued, featuring moon and stars made out of red gold. All models are powered by Jaquet Droz’s manufacture caliber 2660QL3, which features a double mainspring barrel, as well as a silicon balance spring and pallet horns.
It is surprising how long it actually takes until you realize that the majority of the dial is empty. It puts even more of an emphasis on the oversized seconds, as well as the moon phase. It also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the enamel or onyx dial in its purest form, unadorned. Perhaps that is also the true strength of not only this Grande Seconde Moon, but all Jaquet Droz’s.
