Jaquet-Droz

Jaquet-Droz can look back on a long, eventful history. In its current form, the relatively young brand has only been active since the mid-1990s and has been part of the Swatch Group since 2000. Its roots, however, go back to Pierre Jaquet-Droz, who caused a sensation in the mid-18th Century with his pendulum clocks, pocket watches, and mechanical birds and automatons. Connoisseurs of the watch scene may also know Jaquet-Droz as one of the largest Swiss white label manufacturers, producing watches for countless other brands in the 1970s and 80s.

Many designs in the current catalog draw their inspiration from historical models created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz. The Grande Seconde collection, for example, is based on the founder's pocket watch designs. The Automaton collection, with its elaborate animated birds, flowers, and mythical creatures, is also a reinterpretation of Pierre Jaquet-Droz's famous automatons.

Jaquet-Droz's workmanship is of the highest quality. From the case and dial to the finest components of the movement, the surface finish on these watches is flawless. The movements are largely produced in-house, but the brand also uses calibers made to Blancpain's specifications or those of movement manufacturer Frédérique Piguet.

Jaquet-Droz utilizes classic materials like stainless steel and gold, but modern watch materials such as titanium, sapphire, and ceramic also come into play.

Jaquet-Droz produces a few thousand watches each year. Divided into several collections, they offer an astonishing range of designs and functions.

Jaquet-Droz Grande Seconde: Classic Design With Modern Flair

The most extensive collection in the Jaquet-Droz catalog is the Grande Seconde line. The design of these watches is directly inspired by Pierre Jaquet-Droz's designs from the 18th Century. The most striking feature is the decentralized time display with two subdials. Hours and minutes are located at 12 o'clock, while an outsized seconds dial sits at 6. The arrangement of the subdials looks like a stylized figure 8 and gives the watches their characteristic appearance.

In addition to watches that simply indicate the time, the Grande Seconde collection offers a variety of timepieces with useful complications like monopusher chronographs, GMT watches, and watches with a moon phase display or pointer date.

The design of the watches is decidedly classic, but case diameters of between 41 and 44 mm guarantee a modern sense of style. Jaquet-Droz normally manufactures these timepieces in stainless steel or 18-carat gold, but some models, such as the Grande Seconde Clous de Paris, are made of ceramic. In-house calibers like the 2663A-S power the collection.

Jaquet-Droz Petite Heure Minute

The Petite Heure Minute also has a classic design, similar to that of the Grande Seconde. Here, too, you'll find a subdial at 12 o'clock indicating the hours and minutes, but in contrast to the latter model, there is no seconds display. Instead, Jaquet-Droz uses the extra space for outsized date displays or decorative elements like elaborate gem-settings and hand-painted miniatures.

Models in the Petite Heure Minute collection are available in stainless steel or gold, and range in size from 35 to 43 mm, making them ideal for every wrist.

Jaquet-Droz Astrale

Watches in the Jaquet-Droz Astrale collection also have a very classic look, but differ from the models in the Grande Seconde and Petite Heure Minute lines by having a centralized time display.

The majority of Astrale models are equipped with elaborate complications. The Astrale Eclipse, for example, features a moon phase display and a centralized pointer date. The Astrale Eclipse Quantième Perpetual has a perpetual calendar with retrograde displays. If you'd prefer a watch with a second time zone, you may want to check out the Astrale Majestic Beijing Time. The collection also offers a number of chronographs and world time watches.

Depending on the model, Astrale watches are powered either by in-house calibers or Frédérique Piguet movements that have been specially made for Jaquet-Droz.

Jaquet-Droz SW Sports Watches

If you like the design of the Grande Seconde but prefer a watch with a sportier design, you should take a closer look at the Jaquet-Droz Grande Seconde SW. The dial design is like that of the classic Grande Seconde, but the watch's fluted bezel, which is available in stainless steel, gold, or rubber, staple-like clamps at 3 and 9 o'clock, and 45-mm diameter give the watch a rugged look.

Along with the classic three-hand model, the Grande Seconde SW collection also offers a variant with a bicompax chronograph and outsized date.

Jaquet-Droz Automaton & Les Ateliers d'Art

Watches in the Automaton and Les Ateliers d'Art collections are not so much timepieces as wearable works of art. The latter are part of the Petite Minute Heure collection and have artistic dial designs featuring hand-made enamel paintings, miniatures, or mosaics. Watches in the Les Ateliers d'Art line are available in yellow, white, or rose gold.

The Jaquet-Droz Automaton collection is the absolute highlight of the brand's portfolio. With these watches, telling time becomes almost irrelevant. The real star of the show is clearly the array of elaborately designed mechanical animations, which come to life at the push of a button. The Automaton Magic Lotus, for example, depicts a pond landscape in which small lotus flowers, water lilies, and carp move across the dial as if by magic. The Automaton Charming Bird, features a tiny blue tit that not only moves but also chirps. Jaquet-Droz uses small bellows and whistles to reproduce the call of the bird as realistically as possible. Another highlight is the Automaton Dragon Sapphire, which has a dial dominated by a dragon. The mythical creature was designed by John Howe and moves its mouth, scales, and the tip of its tail upon command. The beast strongly resembles J.R.R. Tolkien's Smaug – and that's no coincidence: Howe is one of the best-known illustrators of Tolkien's books and also worked as a consultant on director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" films.

Jaquet Droz Lady 8

As the name suggests, the Lady 8 collection is aimed at women. The watch is shaped like an 8, with the lower, larger part used to display the time. The upper loop is usually filled with a sphere of some kind, like a pearl or beautifully polished gemstone.

The Lady 8 Flower has a small animated flower at the top, under a sapphire crystal dome, that opens and closes its petals.

You can buy a Jaquet-Droz watch from the 1970s or 80s (the brand's "white label period") on Chrono24 starting at around 1,100 USD.

Prices for timepieces in the current Jaquet-Droz catalog start at around 6,600 USD for simple stainless steel watches from the Petite Heure Minute or Grande Seconde collections. Models with a second time zone, moon-phase display, or large date demand an investment of at least 12,000 USD. Sporty stainless steel watches from the Grande Seconde SW collection command similar prices. A gold variant will set you back about 20,800 USD. Jaquet Droz chronographs cost between 14,000 and 27,500 USD, depending on the model and material.

If you want a watch from the Les Ateliers d'Art collection, plan to spend between 17,500 and 79,000 USD. You'll have to dig much deeper for a watch from the Automaton collection: an Automaton will set you back between 98,000 and 400,000 EUR.

How many watches does Jaquet Droz make each year?

According to CEO Marc Hayek, Jaquet-Droz produces approximately 4,000-5,000 watches annually.

Is Jaquet Droz a luxury watch brand?

As an upmarket luxury watch brand within the Swatch Group, Jaquet-Droz is known for its refined, high-quality workmanship, fine materials, and elaborately crafted in-house movements.