Review of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic Ref. J003525541. We recently had the pleasure to to wear and test this amazing Jaquet Droz creation for an entire week. The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic ref. J003525541 is a wristwatch of great appeal with a price of Swiss Francs 22,500 (local taxes excluded) that is in line with the exclusivity of the model, the sophisticated movement powering it and its flawless finishes.
Launched in 2018 in red gold and white gold, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One was the first Jaquet Droz timepiece that did away with its signature and unique dial replacing it with a skeletonized composition that reveals the self-winding manufacture movement.
With the Ceramic version, the Swiss brand made one step further tempering the classic elements of this timepiece with a high-tech material that gives it a new and bolder character. Thanks to this combination, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic is a wristwatch that will be at ease with an elegant suit just like with a causal fit.
We recently had the pleasure to to wear and test this amazing Jaquet Droz creation for an entire week and we are now delighted to share our hands-on experience with it.
The two sub-dials that intersect to create the figure 8, the symbol of Jaquet Droz, are still there but in a totally new way. The hours and minutes counter at 12 o'clock is crafted from 18-ct white gold, just like the applied indexes, while the large seconds subdial at 6 o'clock is made of sapphire crystal.
Thermally blued steel screws fix the two counters to the skeletonized bridges. Each of these screws is “indexed,” i.e. turned towards the centre of the dial, a detail that demonstrates the attention that Jaquet Droz pays to even the smallest details. The three hands are also thermally blued.
The elements of the dial change their appearance depending on how the light hits their surfaces. While you move your wrist, the colour of the hands can turn from a brilliant blue to almost black tones.
In a similar way, the sapphire crystal of the small seconds counter can be transparent, letting the wearer fully appreciate the architecture of the movement beneath, or almost completely opaque because it reflects the light, thus making the blued seconds hand stand out clearly.
Framed by the black ceramic case, the front and back sapphire crystals offer an unobstructed view of the movement whose plate stretches all the way around the case, which itself does away with the casing ring. With this new construction, the gear train is entirely suspended and fixed to the skeletonized bridges that cross over the movement.
The Jaquet Droz 2663 SQ automatic movement is equipped with silicon balance spring and pallet horns. Silicon is rust-proof, non-magnetic and unaffected by temperature fluctuations so guaranteeing greater longevity and increased precision to this 4 Hz (28,800 vph) movement which guarantees 68 hours of power reserve thanks to its double barrel.
Meticulously finished with satin-brushed surfaces on top and polished sides, the case has a diameter of 41.5 mm and is 12.48 mm thick. The large crown is engraved with the brand’s two symbolic stars that represent the founder of the brand, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, and his son.
Thanks to slightly curved lugs and a rolled-edge hand-made blue fabric strap, the watch wraps the wrist very comfortably, secured by a folding clasp made of ceramic and black PVD-treated steel.
jaquet-droz.com
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Incredible watch. Thanks for the report.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading it!
DeleteI like this watch because it is both elegant and somehow sporty.
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