Goldarth's Review

Jaquet Droz is a watchmaker with extremely distinctive pieces. Their uncluttered, sophisticated designs blend modernity with heritage, and it shows in this year’s crop of watches shown at Baselworld 2007. From simple, elegant timepieces to complex, grand complication models, the characteristic Jaquet Droz themes of slim cases, legible dials, and the boldness of black and enamel dials are all there, reinforcing the brand’s inimitable style.



Les Deux Fuseaux Medium from Jaquet Droz (above) measures time in multiple time zones. The first steel-bodied GMT watch from the manufacture, it has a 41 mm case housing a dial with two subdials in opaline black, which mark this watch out as a novelty in the range.



Jaquet Droz have launched their Date Astrale model (above), new for the Baselworld show, and featuring a retrograde date display function. Modern design and mechanical performance make it distinctive and bold, but still very much a part of the brand. The dial is made of black opaline, and showcases a diamond pointer for the date. The hand-finished stainless steel case has an automatic mechanical movement inside of it.




Two versions of the La Grande Heure Minute watch have been added to Jaquet Droz’s Hommage London 1774 collection, the Grande Heure Minute médium réhaut and the Grande Heure Minute medium email; contemporary aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship characterize them both. The médium réhaut (above; top) has a black dial on a steel case, which measures 41 mm across. The médium émail (above; lower) is extra-special, with its superb “grand feu” enamel dial.








Limited to just 88 pieces, and avant garde in spirit, there are six different models with a “grand feu” enameled dial in the “Numerus Clausus” Ligne Noir Absolu (Absolutely Black Line; above) from Jaquet Droz. White gold hands, precision self-winding movements, a choice of 39 or 43 mm white gold cases, a secret signature, and an engraved crown: the collection has it all. (In order from top to bottom) A Grande Seconde with black ceramic case headlines the collection for Baselworld 2007, and is limited to just 88 pieces. A Quantième Perpétuel with intricate hands displaying a perpetual calendar’s readings accurate for 100 years is next in the range. A Chrono Monopoussoir with a single pushbutton chronograph and off-center hour-minute subdial is next. The Grande Seconde Médium with 39mm 18K white gold case and big seconds hand, a Grande Seconde Décentree with white gold case and off-center seconds subdial, a Grande Date with a large date display complete a well-crafted and sophisticated range.



Inspired by the founder of Jaquet Droz’s 18-century timepieces, L’Origine showcases both heritage and the brand’s mechanical prowess. This is Jaquet Droz’s first steel watch brought out in an unlimited edition. 43 mm in diameter, the case takes over 80 steps to create, and houses an opaline slate-gray subdial. Uncomplicated and all the more elegant for it, the L’Origine is a contemporary watch with centuries of heritage.







The Fleur de Lotus joins Jaquet Droz’s Hommage Paris 1785 collection. Eight models have been designed in limited quantities of just eight watches each. The cases of these watches are made of 18K white gold and each will have a self-winding mechanical movement with 68-hour power reserve. Using black diamonds, pink or blue sapphires, amethysts, and tsavorites, there is a gem-and-color combination to suit every sophisticated woman’s taste.