Jaquet Droz upholds the legacy of Pierre Jaquet Droz
What was a one-man show in the mid-1700s is today a luxury watch brand under the control of Switzerland's Swatch Group. Pierre Jaquet-Droz earned himself a reputation among European royal courts thanks to his astonishing mechanical automata, including The Writer, The Musician and The Draughtsman. Jaquet Droz continues with the production of such unique humanoid models today, complementing them with a range of limited-edition watches and wrist-sized mechanical automata.
Limited timepieces in recognition of a master engineer
The complicated cams used by Pierre Jaquet Droz are more a feat of engineering than of craftsmanship, yet the company today excels in applying fine crafts such as miniature painting and delicate enamel work to its watches and automata. The dial on every Jaquet Droz watch makes a statement, whether it is the unmistakable figure of eight shape found on sober models such as the Petite Heure Minute and the Lady 8, or the meticulously crafted artworks of the musical automata.
Versatility on the theme of 8
The number eight abounds in the collection,both in the dial arrangement of almost every watch and the limited number for most models, whose number always ends in an 8. Even with relatively sports models such as the SW ("sport watch") that take the house outside its comfort zone, the arrangement in a figure of eight is clear, with the notable exception of the SW chrono, where the two chronograph counters are side by side on the dial. The Astrale collection is another exception, with the purest of dial designs inspired by the work of Pierre Jaquet-Droz.
It's not necessarily black and white
The simple colours of black and white are not interpreted by Jaquet Droz in the same way as they are at many other watch brands. A black dial, such as the one found on the Petite Heure Minute for ladies, actually turns out to be aventurine, while on the Grande Seconde model the black is in onyx. A white dial can become an ivory shade in grand feu enamel, produced in-house according to the personal recipes of the company's expert enamellers, who have honed their skills after years of trial and error working just on the watch dial.
The warmth of gold
The case is predominantly in precious metals, in particular yellow gold, rose gold or white gold, with models in stainless steel and black ceramic also available. For the Ateliers d'Art and Automata collections, the case is made exclusively of gold, with a preference for 18-carat rose gold. The astonishing Charming Bird automaton watch is the exception with a case in white gold.
Manufacture movements
For a company that upholds the unparalleled engineering expertise of its founder, the movement used in the watch is of extreme importance. Thanks to its position within the Swatch Group, Jaquet Droz is able to offer automatic mechanical movements in its watches, even in the Lady 8 models, which have a smaller 35mm case diameter but also come with an automatic movement.
280 years of history
Browse through the collections of a trusted seller on the most popular websites for pre-owned luxury Swiss watches and you will find a variety of watches from the La Chaux-de-Fonds company, including the rare vintage mono-pusher chrono.
