Pre-Baselworld 2016 – Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered with Onyx Dial

The main thing to note about Jaquet Droz is thei use of a very specific dial layout, with 2 sub-dials (one for the time and one – very large – for the seconds) that depicts an 8 – in fact the lucky 8, a number that made the brand rather successful in Asia. This layout is mainly visible in a balanced, centered display – like in the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantieme Ivory Enamel or the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Circled reviewed – and in various styles: classical, modern, sporty… like the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW. For the coming edition of Baselworld, Jaquet Droz will come with a pure edition but its sleek look will be compensated by an original, unbalanced dial. Here is the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered.

Inside the traditional 43mm stainless steel case of Jaquet Droz, with the actual round and pure shape (which we know to be rather comfortable and very, very smooth on the wrist – something we spotted during our review of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantieme Ivory Enamel) we find the classical movement back, the Calibre 2663A. This movement, used as a base in the new watches of the collection, is an automatic engine with double barrel (for 68 Hours of power reserve) and it features a silicon balance spring and pallet horns – which make it resistant to magnetic fields. Its execution is pleasant, with radial Geneva stripes, polished bevelled angles and a nice skeletonized rotor, with 3D engraving and polished chamfers. Function-wise, it’s here a simple 3-hander, with hours and minutes on a sub-dial and seconds in an oversized, off-centered dial. But as you can see, both the movement and the crown are strangely positioned. Why? Because of the layout of the dial of this Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered.

Usually, watches from Jaquet Droz with the “lucky 8” display, meaning the two superimposed dials, are perfectly balanced. Here, by slightly turning the movement, the display becomes off-centered. The dial of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered is extremely pure, with just two white gold discs to create the tracks and a set of polished and thin hands. No inscriptions (except the brand and the “manufacturé en Suisse” mentions), no colours… nothing can disturb the view on this slightly eccentric display and the show is focused on the material of the dial itself: black onyx, a semi-precious stone that has been polished here for a deep black, mirror finish. Overall, the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered is a very pure and modern watch.

The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered also comes in an opaline silver edition (with a classical dial and blued hands). It will be officially revealed at Baselworld 2016 – price will be confirmed at that time too. More details on www.jaquet-droz.com.