For those keeping an eye on Swatch Group’s stable of brands recently, they couldn’t have helped notice the times have been a-changin' at Jaquet Droz. Inspired by the work of 18th century watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based outfit has undergone a startling transformation over the past two years under the impressive stewardship of CEO Alain Delamuraz.
When the former vice president of Blancpain arrived at the helm of Jaquet Droz in 2022, he made the radical decision to shed the maison’s mid-high-end image and output. Instead, he implemented a fresh approach which sees the watchmaker now create ultra-high-end unique pieces – centred around artistic crafts, automota and a high degree of customisation. These are made in tiny volumes and now sold directly to the most discerning end customers around the globe.
Bold and Disruptive
Oven-fired enamelling, engraving, micro-sculpture, miniature painting and quail eggshell mosaic are just a few of the métiers d’art the brand specialises in. And these techniques are commonly used to riff on themes of varying cultural interest whether it be the Rolling Stones, Chinese dragons or the skull and crossbones insignia.
While the brand still channels the DNA established by Pierre Jaquet-Droz – notably his figure-of-eight Grande Seconde dial design for his 1784 pocket watch – the tendency now is to be bold, disruptive and decidedly contemporary.
"We’re opening up to new clients who don’t necessarily want daddy’s watch, yet who still admire traditional expertise and artistic crafts,” says Delamuraz who is presiding over a company that, in terms of quality, craftsmanship and rarity, has fast become Swatch Group’s jewel in the crown.
Fiery Flashes of Blue and Green
A fine example of the type of timepiece that Delamuraz’s reboot has engendered is Jaquet Droz’s Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal. This one-of-a-kind watch blends mechanical flair and artistic savoir-faire in equal measure to create something thoroughly spectacular.
The first thing you notice about this unique piece is its dial crafted from transparent opal that exhibits fiery flashes of blue and green in an ethereal play of colour that recalls the Northern Lights.
It’s difficult to state how delicate an operation it is to produce a one-piece opal dial base like this, not least because the slice used to make the dial ends up at just 0.7mm thin! After cutting out the outline and circular openings, the lapidary polishes the opal – usually by lightly pressing the slice against a turntable covered with felt and white cerium oxide solution – and this starts to reveal the transparency of the opal and the spectacular play of colours.
The Tourbillon Skelet’s layout draws on Jaquet Droz’s Grande Seconde design, but with the indications inversed so that the large seconds are placed towards 12 o’clock while the overlapping hour-minute subdial is positioned towards 6 o’clock.
The opal forms the perfect backdrop to these subdials whose figure-eight frame has been crafted in transparent sapphire onto which the minute and seconds tracks are printed in white. The brand’s signature screws with star-shaped slots are then used to fix this sapphire structure so it sits above the opal, while 18K white gold hands and indexes complete the ensemble.
Mechanical Majesty
The beauty of this piece is that the opal’s transparency and the circular cut-outs allow for neat views of the “in-group” Swiss-made automatic Calibre JD26255Q. Here, its spider-like skeletonised bridges have been treated with an anthracite tone ensuring their silhouette discreetly reveals itself through the opal.
Apart from its architecture, the movement stands out for its technical attributes too, including a titanium-caged flying tourbillon that directly drives the seconds, hairspring and pallet fork horns in silicon, and eight-day power reserve that comes from a single mainspring barrel. What’s more the 18K white gold oscillating weight – which can be personalised with a custom engraving – is in the form of a D so that it doesn’t obscure views of the movement through the display back.
Clear as Crystal
As you may have guessed, transparency is a key theme across the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal, and that trope is embodied by the choice of material used to make the 42mm case: sapphire crystal. Indeed, the caseband, caseback and bezel are all made from this see-through material and the glassy effect is enhanced by the fact that no screws are used to attach them together. The result? Light freely floods into the watch from the front, back and sides. “Sublime” doesn't do it justice.
Finally, to match the visual airiness of this one-off watch, Jaquet Droz has paired it with a white rubber strap with stainless steel and plasma ceramic folding clasp.
Given Jaquet Droz’s new approach – where eye-catching customisation reigns – the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal is not just a spectacular unique piece ready to grace a new owner’s wrist; it can equally fuel collectors’ imaginations and show them the mouthwatering possibilities that the brand is now offering. So, how will you have your Jaquet Droz?
To find out more, please visit the Jaquet Droz website.
