Jaquet Droz: Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic

Designed over two centuries ago, the Grande Seconde by Jaquet Droz never ceases to amaze.

In 2018, the Skelet-One version, marked yet another break: for the first time, the dial of the Grande Seconde has been replaced by the skeleton light and transparency.

Today, this piece is combined with ceramic. The case, with a diameter of 41.5 mm, has been satin-finished on the top just like its lugs and polished on the sides, creating a play of light that is amplified by a double sapphire “glass box”. The movement plate stretches all the way around the case, which itself does away with the casing ring. With this new construction, the gear train is entirely suspended and fixed to the skeletonized bridges that cross over the movement.

The latter has been the subject of many finishing details. The automatic skeleton movement, with silicon balance spring and double barrel, features blued steel screws that fix together the 18k white gold hour circle and the sapphire dial. Each of these screws is “indexed,” meaning they are turned towards the center of the dial.

For this new Skelet-One Ceramic version, the indexes are also made of 18k white gold. Vertically brushed, the hour circle catches every ray of light, ensuring perfect readability. As for the grande seconde dial, it is made from sapphire to offer an unobstructed view of each of the movement’s details. With the same objective of total transparency, the 18k white gold oscillating weight has been entirely skeletonized to avoid masking the slightest detail of the caliber, which makes a circular revolution around the case. (Price CHF 24.300)