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The historic name was resurrected for the new brand in 1995 and in 2003 JD was subsumed into the Swatch Group. 2008 saw the brand commemorate a somewhat arbitrary 270th anniversary, marking the date when Jaquet Droz established his first manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds (1738). The manufacture has gone to great lengths to underscore its historical pedigree and bridge the 205 year gap between its founder’s death and its fin de siècle renaissance. This has been accomplished through a shrewd combination of marketing and design: The brand’s most recognisable model, the Grand Seconde, |
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The collection comprises a magnificent array of ethereal, visionary designs that are among the most elegant in the industry. So far JD’s greatest innovations have been in design terms, but Hayek is now beginning to concentrate on the technical side of the brand’s production. Since 2001, many pieces within the collection have used exclusive Frederic Piguet ebauches and base movements, with JD developing the modules for its various complications. Last year, Emch expressed his desire to create a new base movement to accommodate the modules. A state-of-the-art, new manufacture is in the process of being built at Le Crêt-du-Locle, and upon its completion later this year, the brand can begin working towards these targets. It is likely that some components will still have to be sourced from elsewhere, but the movements will be assembled and tested “in house”. |
As with many of the upper tier brands, Jaquet Droz’s current collection is spread across four lines: London, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Genève and Paris. The sports range, nominally within the Genève line, spills over and can be considered a line of its own. Across the collection you can usually find the signature blued lancine hands, double barrel 68-hour power reserves, twin star JD insignias stamped on the crowns, and secret signature clover stamps on the lavishly decorated movements. |
JD’s dials are highly celebrated. A “Sur Mesure” customisation service allows customers to select the configurations of model, case material and dial. And with over 40 spectacular dial materials to choose from, including meteorite, moss agate, onyx, aventurine, chalcedony and grand feu enamel; the permutations are vast. Furthermore, the cut of every dial is unique; in fact, the dials with subtle imperfections in the graining look most beautiful. To select “stand out” models from the collection is difficult, but amongst the finest offerings are: Les Lunes, from 'La Chaux-De-Fonds', a beautifully serene piece and with an exclusive retrograde moon phase complication; Les Douzevilles, also from 'La Chaux- |
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An Obsession With 8 |
Jaquet Droz’s preoccupation with the “lucky” number 8 is not unprecedented in the industry. The figure 8 has an association with the lemniscate (the symbol for infinity), and has been adopted by Bedat and Co, who has incorporated the figure into its logo. But for JD, the fixation goes further. JD only produces around 2500 watches per year and many of its lines are in limited editions, (numerus clausus) of 88 or 8. The interlocking rings on many of the models take the shape of the figure 8, a tourbillon model has an 88-hour power reserve, the Eclipse has 8 stars on its dial, and the Grand Seconde SW Rouge contains exactly 88g of rose gold. Perhaps most remarkably, water resistance levels are given as 88m for some of the SW models (too far?). Surprisingly,“La Machine à Ecrire le Temps” has not been billed as the 8th wonder of the world and is in fact in a numerus clausus of 28. |
Shae Spreafico (Apr 2010) |
For more information visit www.jaquet-droz.com |
Images: Jaquet Droz, TimepieceReview |
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