Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième steel automatic 43 mm

The story

First-of-its-kind aesthetics, avant-garde purity of design, the Grande Seconde has been celebrating the magic of time, in its most minute moments, since the 18th century. This tutelary model from the Manufacture Jaquet Droz is unanimously recognized as one of the most astonishing achievements in watchmaking history.

Inspired by a pocket watch created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz in 1784, the Grande Seconde makes the seconds sub-dial the main dial to emphasize the rapid pace of urban life in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. Over the centuries, the emphasis on the passing seconds has only become more relevant. Wearing a Grande Seconde links us to the early days of fine watchmaking, while the modern technical achievements of this timepiece look to the future. In this way, the watch itself becomes an apt summary of 21st-century Swiss watchmaking, a highly traditional art form that always strives to improve mechanical precision.

A poetic model

This 43mm-diameter model features a fully polished steel case, with a very large dial opening. The latter features an attractive azure finish with a silvery hue, playing with luminous reflections. On this dial, the off-center hours and minutes at 12 o'clock embrace the seconds at 6 o'clock: a poetically avant-garde aesthetic at the very heart of Jaquet Droz's identity. The date is embodied by a discreetly positioned hand at six o'clock, whose streamlined shape underlines both the distinction of the Roman and Arabic numerals and the graphic balance that has remained unchanged for three hundred years. To facilitate reading of the date calendar, the hand is finished with a red tip, a dynamic touch that's not to be disliked.

On this model, we appreciate its blued steel hands, a subtle detail that underlines its good manufacture and its belonging to Haute Horlogerie.

Behind its sapphire caseback, Jaquet Droz reaffirms its watchmaking excellence with its Manufacture calibre 266002! As with all its movements, the Manufacture plays with the finesse of its finishes: plates pearled above and below, beveled, molded and circled wheels, softened beveled steels, straight lines, hand-polished angles. On the technical side, this movement offers 68 hours of power reserve thanks to its two barrels.

The package

This Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième is in beautiful condition. This watch will be delivered with its original case. This watch has been inspected by our watchmakers and as such benefits from our one-year Lepage Vintage warranty.