News: A Pop Of Colour Here, A Skeletonisation There - The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Limited Editions
If you’re a long-time viewer of our YouTube channel, then chances are you’ve seen the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde before. Back in August 2019, we reviewed the Grand Seconde Email Ivoire. With its ivory Grand Feu enamelled dial, rose gold case and intersecting dials, the Email Ivoire was a perfect blend between traditional and present-day watchmaking. So, what happens if you take that watch and lean more towards the future of watchmaking? Well, I will tell you—you get the new Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Limited Editions.
Okay, I will address the elephant in the room. This watch isn’t exactly new—the Grande Seconde Skelet-One first appeared in 2018. This isn’t even the first time the Grande Seconde Skelet-One has boasted ceramic. It did that a year later in 2019, and again the year after that—with plasma ceramic—in 2020. So, what is new? I hear you ask. Mostly the pop of colour.
The new Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Limited Editions come in three different variants. The first is a light blue accented model with a matching fabric strap and matte black ceramic case. The second is green, with the same ceramic case and matching strap as the first. But the third variant? Well, that’s different. The third model is yellow with rose gold accents, has the same matching coloured fabric strap as the other two but has a plasma ceramic case to assist the watch’s warm yellow tones.
Right, enough about the colours, let’s get to the actual watch, shall we? As I mentioned, rather than a sleek ivory Grand Feu enamelled dial—like the one on the Email Ivoire—the Skelet-One, is well, skelet-on. But that isn’t to say that the DNA of the watch has changed. It still has the large seconds counter—now a sapphire crystal disk for transparency—that intersects with the minute and hour dial.
Surrounding the dials are skeletonised bridges that support the Calibre JD 2663 SQ. Featuring twin barrels, the Calibre JD 2663 SQ has a power reserve of 68 hours, a beat rate of 28,800 vph, a silicon balance spring—a feature I’m happy to see more and more watchmakers starting to incorporate into their watches—and an openwork rotor-weight in 18k white gold.
Very much the flavour of the month, the skeleton watch—and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Why take your watch off to observe the beautifully crafted movement when you can view it with a simple glance down at your wrist?
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