Introducing – The Updated Sporty Jaquet Droz Collection, the Grande Seconde SW

When you think Jaquet Droz, you usually have in mind the image of a sleek and elegant watch, characterized by the 8-shaped display of the dial. Most of their collections are on the dressy side, however, it is hard for a mainstream brand to ignore opportunities such as the sports-watch market. But… How to mix the refined and signature display of Jaquet Droz with a sporty and bold attire? This is the hard task of the Grande Seconde SW collection, which has just been slightly redesigned, with new dials, two-tone versions and metal bracelet options.

What we have in front of us is more of an evolution of the collection, to give it a bit of fresh air, rather than an entire facelift. The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW isn’t a new watch – as we reviewed it here – however for 2017, it will receive some slight visual updates. The Grande Seconde SW is the bold and visually complex interpretation of the Jaquet Droz 8-figure concept. This collection strongly contrasts with the rest of the watches produced by the brand, as most of them are elegant, relatively dressy and – as their main characteristic – are very clean. Here, we have the opposite. The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW is complex, sharp and architectural.

Its 45mm case takes on the appearance of a  classical bowl-shaped central container, one which is thoroughly protected. Indeed, it has hollowed, triangular lugs, and  is also enveloped by a case-guard with two hooks from the caseback (one of which doubles as a crown guard). The “secured” aesthetic is further reinforced by a sporty notched bezel (which is now brushed instead of polished previously). For 2017, two main novelties are to be seen. The first one is the arrival of two-tone versions (we told you, steel-and-gold is making a huge comeback“), mixing stainless steel with 18k red gold. Gold is used for the bezel, for the hands, for the transversal bridge that crosses the dial and for the 8-shaped ring that circles the dial. Also, you can find it on the central link of the metallic bracelet – which leads us to the second novelty.

To reinforce the sportiness and boldness of the Grande Seconde SW, Jaquet Droz now offers the option of a metallic bracelet (full steel or steel-and-gold, depending on the version). To complement the design of the case – highly protected yet architectural, these bracelets have three partially openworked links evoking the lugs’ design, and also feature screws that echo those of the case. For the rest, there is no evolution. We find the same oversized and rubber-molded crown, and inside the case, the familiar Calibre 2663A-S, a beautifully decorated automatic movement with an 18-carat white gold turbine rotor. The dark rutherium-treated bridges have a diagonal Côtes de Genève pattern and the bevels are polished. Double barrels provide 68 hours of power reserve and the movement ticks at a modern 4Hz frequency, with silicon balance spring and pallet horns.

Finally, the dials of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW models are now a bit sleeker than before, to make the watch visually more modern. No more Geneva stripes, instead, simple vertically brushed dials. Alongside the metallic bracelets, black textile straps with folding buckles are also available. Prices go from CHF 15,150 to CHF 28,100 (details in the specs below). More details about the 2017 Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW on www.jaquet-droz.com.

Technical Specifications – Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW, 2017 Collection

• Case: 45mm diameter x 11.93mm thick – stainless steel or steel-and-gold (18k red gold) – sapphire crystal on both sides – 50m water resistant
• Dial: Satin-finished black dial, 18-karat gold applied ring
• Movement: Jaquet Droz 2663A, in-house calibre – self-winding mechanical – silicon balance spring and pallet horns – double barrel with 68h power reserve – 4Hz frequency – hours, minutes, seconds
• Strap / bracelet: Rolled-edge hand-made black fabric with folding buckle – Steel or steel-and-gold bracelet
• Reference: J029030548 (steel on textile) – J029030148 (steel on steel bracelet) – J029037541 (steel/red gold on textile) – J029037141 (steel/red gold on two-tone metal bracelet)
• Price: CHF 15,150 (steel on textile) – CHF 18,600 (steel on steel bracelet) – CHF 20,450 (steel/red gold on textile) – CHF 28,100 (steel/red gold on two-tone metal bracelet)