From the rolling hills and mountain views of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Jaquet Droz has long created intricate mechanisms inspired by nature’s many forms. From birds to botanics and humans to celestial orbs, Jaquet Droz creations have captivated observers for nearly 300 years.
When one of the manufacture’s latest timepieces, the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Aventurine, fell into my hands I immediately noticed the lines created by the paved diamonds, fluid throughout the timepiece and reminiscent of shapes seen in nature. Its material, aventurine, is translated in layers to the eye and seem to shift colors with the slightest turn of the timepiece. Aventurine is a glass created to resemble the night sky and is achieved by dropping metallic mineral powders into the molten glass before the cooling process.
The horological achievement aimed to combine the arts of watchmaking and jewelry creation. In doing so, the model utilizes 382 brilliant-cut diamonds amid the highly complicated Jaquet Droz 25JD self-winding tourbillon movement.
Adding to its eye-catching aesthetic, Jaquet Droz incorporated a case forged from white gold measuring 39 millimeters in diameter. Below the tourbillon cage at noon, hours and minutes are displayed on a white mother-of-pearl center framed with a row of diamonds. Finishing the timepiece is a a rolled edge hand-made blue alligator leather strap with a white gold folding clasp also set with diamonds.
