Jaquet Droz

At Baselworld 2016, Jaquet Droz debuted this stunning pocket watch with a Paillonné dial in red Grand Feu enamel. The Paillonné technique consists of tucking a piece of foil - a “paillon” - between two layers of enamel. The gold foil pattern underneath hence shines through in a unique way. The Pocket Watch Paillonné is presented in a rather sleek 50 mm x 12.07 mm 18K red gold case with a gold chain. At the top of the dial, the hours and minutes are displayed via blued stainless steel hands on a small silvery-opaline dial. Just below is a much larger silvery-opaline dial with a blued seconds hand that continuously sweeps the dial. Inside is hand wound caliber 2615 which is visible through the sapphire window on that caseback, and that beats at 3Hz (21,600 vph), has 20 jewels, is

Originally announced is 2013, the Charming Bird is a half million dollar Jaquet Droz timepiece that features the world’s first singing bird automaton in a wristwatch. Basically, there are two mechanical movements that control the time and automaton functions, respectively. First, is the movement which controls the time, caliber JD 615, beats a 3Hz (21,600 vph) and features automatic winding via a platinum oscillating weight. It powers the hours and minutes display located at 12 o’clock and is controlled by the crown just above that. The movement is in-house made and features 29 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve via a single barrel. Second, is the singing bird automation movement is controlled by a hand-winding mechanical movement, with a crown and push-button at 2 o’clock. You have to manually wind the crown, which in turn compresses the air to activate

Last month at Baselworld, Jaquet Droz debuted a timepiece, with a deadbeat seconds function, and a unique dial made from black onyx called the Grande Seconde Deadbeat Onyx. Onyx is a mineral crystal (gemstone), formed of bands of chalcedony in alternating colors, according to Wikipedia. “It is cryptocrystalline, consisting of fine intergrowths of the silica minerals quartz and moganite. Its bands are parallel to one another, as opposed to the more chaotic banding that often occurs in agates.” For each Grande Second Deadbeat Onyx dial, a piece of onyx is cut and then polished to a glossy finish, resulting in a look that is quite striking, especially when contrasted by the 18K white gold monoblock applied chapter ring. The hours and minutes are indicated by polished white gold Lance-shaped hands in the upper dial. And a long centrally-mounted baton-shaped hand,

This is the new Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx that will be officially unveiled at Baselworld 2016 next month. Highlighted by a mineral disc cut from onyx, the dial has been polished to a glossy finish. Contrasting the black reflective surface of the minimalist dial, are brushed 18K white gold monoblock chapter rings. Hours and minutes are indicated by polished white gold Lance-shaped hands in the upper dial. And a long baton-shaped hand with an open-tipped counterweight indicates small seconds in the lower dial. Animating the timepiece, and visible through a clear caseback, is an automatic movement decorated with Côtes de Genève rayonnante (sunray Geneva stripes), perlage, and a matte frosted skeletonized rotor with an embossed Jaquet Droz logo. The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx is presented in a fully polished 43 mm diameter stainless steel case. Uniquely,

Jaquet Droz, probably the least known brand within the Swatch Group, has introduced a timepiece collection, that for the first time, appears to be targeting a main stream, consumer. The Grande Heure Minute Quantième comes in either a 39 mm or 43 mm diameter stainless steel case with three hands (hours, minutes and central seconds) and a date function. It’s minimalist aesthetic, in my opinion, is a good thing considering the brand has typically focused on designs that are quite frankly, too eccentric for my tastes. Available with either silvered opaline or a blue Côtes de Genève dial, both with an applied ring and applied rhodium-plated indications. Additional details include blued steel or rhodium-plated Lance-shaped hands, red-tipped seconds hand, sunray crown, box crystal and open-circle counterweight. Uniquely, the date aperture sports a design with sharp angles and beveled edges perfectly

Ahead of Baselworld, Jaquet Droz has released of preview of their newest Grande Seconde timepiece, which will now come in a deadbeat seconds variation. The Grande Second Deadbeat is presented in a 43 mm diameter, fully-polished, red gold case. The ivory colored dial was created using the “Grand Feu” enamel technique which requires firing it in the oven. This is one of the most difficult techniques for decorating a watch and offers very high durability. All indications are printed in black (except the 31st of the month in the date subsidiary dial, which is red). At 12 o’clock is an hour and minute display, with Roman numerals for the hours and dots for the minutes, and red god lance-shaped hands. At 6 o’clock is an oversized date display. And around the perimeter of the entire dial is the deadbeat seconds

This is the world’s first singing bird automaton wrist watch. It features piston-driven bellows which enable the bird to move: the wings go up and down and the head rotates. A sapphire dial allows a view into the unique gear train and components. The case measures 47 mm. Only 28 pieces will be made at a price of approximately half a million dollars a piece.

Historically, Jaquet Droz was known for creating intricate, automaton timepieces and so as an homage, they have created a masterpiece called the Bird Repeater. It is a hand-painted work of art, an amazing automaton (with a scene of a family of birds feeding and one coming out of its egg) and a minute repeater all in one. Housed inside a 47 mm by 18.4 mm 18K rose gold case is an immaculate hand-finished 69-jewel manually wound Swiss movement (visible through a clear case back) with a minute repeater function. To hear the time (minutes, hours), you have to activate the slide on the left side of the case, which also activates the automaton scene of the birds feeding. Watch a video of it in action by clicking here. Available in 18K gold or 18K gold set with diamonds, each variation