Jaquet Droz: Grande Seconde Moon

Jaquet Droz integrated the moon phase into one of its legendary models, the Grande Seconde.

The Maison chose a so-called astronomical moon phase, requiring adjustment only once every 122 years and 46 days. This discrepancy is barely noticeable in a generation but shows the care and rigor bestowed upon the design of the movement. Thanks to its carefully studied gear ratio, the specially developed mechanism 135 is much more precise than a traditional 59-tooth model, which accumulates an error of one day in approximately two years, 7 months and 20 days.

Jaquet Droz offers a trilogy from ivory Grand Feu enamel, one of its signatures, to the brilliance of silvery opaline and the deep black of onyx. Located at the heart of the lower dial dedicated to the date with a majestic direct-drive seconds hand, the moon disc is made of blued steel in the first two models and onyx in the third. Tiny gold stars shimmer on a backdrop of dark blue and deep black in these miniature nocturnal works of art. Each day, the moon disc rotates clockwise ever so slightly, faithfully representing the moon’s cycle. Readability is perfect thanks to a specially designed double level dial to grasp the almost mystical aspect of the lunar calendar in the blink of an eye. A corrector positioned at 8 o’clock enables you to set and adjust the moon phase with a simple push of the stylus that accompanies the timepiece.