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Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde 43mm Rose Gold
Ref. JOO3033243
The Grande Seconde is the watch that defines Jaquet Droz as a contemporary manufacture. Its figure-of-eight layout — hours and minutes riding the upper lobe, the oversized seconds sweeping through the lower — traces directly back to Pierre Jaquet-Droz's eighteenth-century pocket watches, and every decision in the modern design exists to keep that architecture legible and uncluttered. The dial here is Grand Feu enamel in slate black, a process in which powdered glass is fired onto a copper base at extreme temperature and ground back by hand between each layer. The result is a depth that photographic reproductions do not quite capture: the surface sits somewhere behind itself. At 43mm the case has presence, but 12mm of thickness is restrained for a watch of this construction, and it does in fact disappear beneath a shirt cuff rather than lift against it. The calibre inside is built on the Frédéric Piguet 1150 architecture — twin barrels, 72 hours of reserve — and is hand-finished to a standard that makes the exhibition caseback worth turning the watch over for. The tang buckle is solid 18k rose gold, matching the case, and the alligator strap beds in quickly to a wrist that wears it regularly.
- Reference
- JOO3033243
- Brand
- Jaquet Droz
- Collection
- Grande Seconde
- Case size
- 43mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 2663
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
Learn more about Jaquet Droz
Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born at La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1721 and built, between 1768 and 1774, three automata that are still working: The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician. The Writer is the remarkable one. A stack of cams inside the figure encodes each letter, and the text it writes can be changed by resetting them — which makes it, by a reasonable reading, one of the earliest programmable machines. All three are in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Neuchâtel and are demonstrated to the public on the first Sunday of each month.
He used the automata as a sales tool, touring the courts of Europe and China to sell the clocks and watches the workshop made. It worked: the firm became one of the first European watchmakers with a serious trade into China.
The modern company was relaunched in the 1990s and bought by the Swatch Group in 2000. The Grande Seconde layout it uses on most models — two overlapping dials forming a figure eight — is taken directly from a pocket watch the original workshop made in the eighteenth century, and the appetite for moving figures survives in its automaton pieces.
- 1738
- Pierre Jaquet-Droz begins making clocks at La Chaux-de-Fonds
- 1774
- The three automata are completed and toured through Europe
- 2000
- The Swatch Group acquires the revived brand
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,405), Automatic Watches (1,634), Leather Strap Watches (942), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (326) and Solid Gold Watches (149).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 43mm sits at the larger end
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | JOO3033243 | O31192445101004 | 04070003611 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,950 | £10,050 | £8,950 |
| Case size | 43mm | 44.25mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 60 hours | 54 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 72 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £8,950, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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