Mineral dials are one of the eight codes of the Jaquet Droz DNA. The range of minerals used is extremely wide, with aventurine, bronzite, jasper, lapis lazuli, meteorite, mother-of-pearl, onyx, ruby heart and spectrolite. The natural brilliance of each of these stones adorns the naturally unique dials of models such as the Grande Seconde Météorite, the Grande Heure Minute Onyx, the Grande Seconde Décentrée Stromatolite and, most recently, the Lady 8 Petite Coeur De Rubis.
Serpentinite is now making its grand entrance into the array of Jaquet Droz minerals. This green, brown or black rock of marine origin has a scale-like appearance and is soft to the touch. Widely found in the Alps, is played a major role in the geological history that shaped these magnificent landscapes at a time when man did not yet exist. The serpentinite that covers the entire dial of the Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite comes from the slopes of the Matterhorn, Switzerland's emblem par excellence. Particularly brittle and easily scratched, it attests to the expertise in crafting minerals cultivated by the Jaquet Droz artisans.
This rock, a witness to the history of Earth since time immemorial, makes a perfect match with the moon, an eternal and fascinating heavenly body that imparts a unique rhythm to our understanding of time and adds a touch of mystery and poetry to timepieces. Placed in the oversized date of the big second, the serpentine moon disk blends seamlessly into the dial of this model, revealing a realistic 22K white gold moon and 18K white gold stars. This particularly discreet moon cleverly hides its astronomical face, which is controlled by the "135 mechanism". Built around a 135-tooth moon disk – as against 59 for a standard moon phase – it guarantees a degree of accuracy such that the error is only one day every 122 years and 46 days, compared with around every two years and eight months for a standard moon phase. A discreet corrector placed at 8 o’clock on the case serves to correct this astronomical moon phase.
The 43mm stainless steel case of the Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite houses mechanical self-winding Jaquet Droz Calibre 2660QL3. Beating at the frequency of 28,800 vph, this movement guarantees the watch a comfortable 68 hours of autonomy thanks to a double barrel and is equipped with cutting-edge technology including a silicon balance-spring and lever horns.
A black alligator leather strap secured by a steel folding clasp sets the finishing touch to this special 88-piece limited edition that Jaquet Droz dedicates to Switzerland, to minerals and to the moon, and which is exclusively reserved for the Swiss market. Price: 18,800 CHF.
