The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde SW is set to be released at Baselworld 2014. This watch was originally released in 2008 but this year will receive an update to its aesthetics. The Grande Seconde has done remarkably well even though it was at the time a break away from the designs that Jaquet Droz is known for. What set this watch apart is the unconventional focus on the seconds. As an ode to watchmaking, focusing on the basic unit of time isn’t at all surprising. The watch is easily recognizable by its figure eight dial layout. For 2014, the Grande Seconde SW features a sophisticated Cotes de Genève pattern on its dial.
Jaquet Droz has retained the case dimensions of the original watch for this new incarnation. Though the bezel is notched, it is also stationary. The bezel wraps around the dial, which is used as an informal crown protector. To maintain case symmetry, this bezel outcropping also appears on the opposite side. The main crown is ridged to allow for the effortless setting of this timepiece. Jaquet Droz trades in the rubber strap of the older model for a classy black alligator leather strap. The strap is fitted with a traditional tang type buckle.
The dial is hued slate grey and it carries two main subdials – one for the hours minutes in the upper half of the dial, and the other for the prominent seconds found in the lower hemisphere. The hours and minutes dial carry Roman numeral hour markers, with the exception of the 5, 6, and 7 positions, which are represented in Arabic numerals. The hands are skeletonized and tipped with lume for legibility at night. Powering this watch is a self-winding mechanical movement featuring a skeletonized oscillating weight.
TAGS: Automatic Watches, Cotes de Geneve, Exhibition Case Back, Grande Seconde, Haute Horlogerie, Jaquet Droz, Leather, Mechanical Watches, Men's Watches, Sapphire Crystal, Selfwinding Watches, Stainless Steel, Swiss Made