The Grande
Seconde Off-Centered embodies the essential Jaquet Droz design codes, balancing
a sense of history with sheer, modern elegance. The Grande
Seconde Off-Centered Onyx displays a striking graphic simplicity and its
stylized black dial of edgy, intense black draws one deep into the heart of
Jaquet Droz’s history. The creative concept underlying this model was born in
the 18th century, at the height of the Enlightenment, when Pierre Jaquet-Droz
revolutionized watchmaking with his Grande Seconde. In conceiving two barely
superimposed dials, one of them off-centered at 6 o’clock and with an
extra-fine hand marking the seconds, Pierre Jaquet-Droz invented more than
simply a new form of mechanism: he originated a new conception of Time, whose
minutest instants became infinitely precious. Together the two dials form the
figure 8, a symbol of balance and wholeness that the brand known by its twin
stars would adopt for its lucky number. The craftsmen
at Jaquet Droz had already given an aesthetic twist to this understated motif
by shifting the second dial slightly to 7 o'clock. 2016 sees a new variation
introduced, featuring a 43-mm stainless steel case for the first time, whose
diameter further amplifies the magnetic blackness of the dial. An exceptional
color celebrated by artists since time immemorial, black takes on a whole new
dimension in the Grande Seconde Off-Centered. Following in the great tradition
of the mineral dials created by Jaquet Droz, an onyx disc has been
painstakingly cut and polished to form the dial of this watch. Its deep black
harbors an extraordinary intensity, recalling the mystery of an inkpot, where
an author dips the quill, or the silky satin that a couture designer fashions into a garment. With every movement of
the wrist, its flawlessly even surface comes alive with reflections of almost
liquid intensity. This voluptuous play of brilliance is made all the more stunning
by the understated elegance of the indexes. The Jaquet Droz craftsmen cut them
directly into the 18-carat white gold circles of the large hours and minutes
dial and the smaller seconds dial that combine to form the legendary figure 8.
The metal’s mirror-like shine contrasts with the waves of light that run across
the onyx disc and bring out the delicate reliefs of the rings and bezel. The
winding stem positioned at 4 o'clock adds a dynamic touch to this iconic new
watch, which also comes in a version that teams a silvered opaline dial with an
alligator leather strap. Jaquet Droz brings new mystery to the poetry of time
in the Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx, sparking the same luminous flashes
that inspire artists in the depths of their darkest nights.
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