Ceramic plasma makes a dramatic entrance alongside red gold. One is steeped in tradition and the other is all about technology. Two new variations of a timepiece that has come to stand for Jaquet Droz’s brazen artistry – the Grande Seconde Skelet-One.
Baselworld 2018
Our Watchscapes on the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One
Time to Move 2019
Press Release
Modern or classic? No need to choose. The Grande Seconde — the face of traditional Fine Watchmaking by Jaquet Droz — triumphed as it roared into the 21st century with the Skelet-One.
In record time, the creation staked its place as a cornerstone of the watchmaker’s contemporary image: bold, creative, modern and on-trend, yet firmly rooted in its origins. Now Jaquet Droz unveils two new versions of its Grande Seconde Skelet-One and each has a unique way of honoring two very complementary stylistic approaches.
The traditional model features a case made of red gold, a gold alloy that Jaquet Droz admires for its subtle accents of warm coppery tones. Worn on a leather strap with a novel rubber-like finish, it supplements the watchmaker’s semi-mat alligator straps. It perfectly matches the gray of the bridges suspending the Grande Seconde’s delicate movement. Inside the 41 mm case lies the airy workings of this exclusive Jaquet Droz caliber where every component is meticulously stripped down to its minimum point of resistance. The fully suspended gear train is attached to the movement’s skeletonized bridges raised by an openworked oscillating weight that lets light shine clearly through.
The modern version, on the other hand, is the first time Jaquet Droz has used ceramic plasma on one of its timepieces. This plasma is made by transforming white ceramic with gas heated to 20,000°C, giving it a unique metallic glow without adding any metal fragments to the process.
This core modification maintains all the inherent properties of ceramic. It is just as hard, lightweight and scratch-resistant as high-tech ceramic, a material that has widely stood the test of time. The gray anthracite theme carries over to the new ceramic plasma case held by a sleek and modern gray textile strap. It’s a creation designed for collectors who simply cannot resist the seductive modernity of a watch whose design hasn’t changed in almost 300 years: the Grande Seconde.
