The name implied 2 SUNs, one sunray pattern on the white gold rotor and another on the
champagne gold dial. The watch is a machine-turned version prototype, which is good enough as
it is. In the final version (yet to be released), the sunray pattern will be hand-engraved, with silvered
centre dial and applied metal Ring. The engraver, who prefers to be anonymous, is a famous and
a very skillful one in the industry.
This watch will be limited to 88 pieces only, and it will be impressive.
Cerclee series including Cerclee minerale rutile quartz
May 28 2003, 5:12 PM
Slate-grey and opaline silver dial, applied metal ring, bevelled, drawn out with a file and secured
by blued-steel screws, beautifully highlights the hour-minute and the large seconds subdial:
(The Grande Seconde Cerclee)
The Grande Seconde Cerclee Minerale is a limited edition series of only eight pieces each. The
first in this series is the Cerclee Minerale rutile quartz. meaning rock crystal from Brazil featuring
needle-shaped golden rutile inclusions. The stone is extremely hard to craft and must be
meticulously selected to achieve a surface with a sufficiently large concentration of rutile to
make a dial, while nonetheless being very fine.
(The Cerclee Minerale Rutile Quartz, only 8 pieces, each is unique)
This Grande Seconde Cerclee has a slate-grey and opaline silver dial, applied metal ring,
bevelled, drawn out with a file and secured by blued-steel screws, beautifully highlights the
hour-minute and the large seconds subdial:
(The Grande Seconde Cerclee)
The Grande Seconde Cerclee Minerale Rutile Quartz dial is made from rock crystal from Brazil
featuring needle-shaped golden rutile inclusions. The stone is extremely hard to craft and must
be meticulously selected to achieve a surface with a sufficiently large concentration of rutile to
make a dial, while nonetheless being very fine.
(The Cerclee Minerale Rutile Quartz, each is unique)
In addition, The cerclee minerale include a number of unique pieces with different mineral dials:
(Grande Seconde Cerclee Minerale Obsidian, piece unique)
obsidian is found in Mexico, this one-of-a-ind dial features an extremely special material which is
a variety of natural volcanic glass.
(Grande Seconde Cerclee Mineral Slate, piece unique)
Slate from the Kandertal region of Switzerland. This soft, foliated stone is a clay schist that is
extremely hard to work since it is very crumbly.
The Grande Seconde Numerus Clausus Decentree is distinguished by its remarkable sense of
equilibrium, despite its unusual arrangement. Its uniform ivory-coloured "grand feu" enamelled
dial is enhanced by two circles which are centred only at their intersection. THe hour-minute
subdial is at 1 O'clock, while the large seconds counter is at 7 o'clock.
This technique is revived here for the first time, the enamel work with translucent effect.
The watch will be made in 3 different series, with each series a limited edition of 8 pieces only:
Dials base is solid white gold:
(nice!)
1) The dial is hand engraved with a sunray pattern
2) Application 2 to 3 layers of translucent blue enamel and one layer of counter-enamel on the
back of the dial. Each layer has to be baked in a oven at 820 degrees.
(Yummy! and the final version could be even better!)
3) Application of all the "paillons" (original engraved gold leaves from the 18th century)
4) Application of a layer of color enamel (red, white or yellow color over the "paillons"). The dial
goes into the oven once more.
(Gold leaves for good fortune?)
5) Application of 4 to 6 additional layers of translucent enamel layers, one after the other in the
oven.
Grande Secondes Rose Gold with dark Cotes de Geneve
April 27 2006, 7:21 PM
Basel 2006
This message has been edited by mkt32 on Apr 27, 2006 7:25 PM This message has been edited by mkt32 on Apr 27, 2006 7:25 PM This message has been edited by mkt32 on Apr 27, 2006 7:21 PM
(The prototype of Les Lunes, do not look as good as the real object of desire)
As usual, Manuel Emch is one who takes feedback seriously. The Jaquet Droz team decided to
change the design because some collectors commented that the readability of day/date was
poor due to the metal ring and the time was not exactly easy to tell with the blued hands and
the slate grey dial.
So here it is, the image of the final "Les Lunes" which has been shown publicly for the first time
ever! Right here at ThePuristS.com
originally posted by PeterCDE
This message has been edited by mkt32 on Apr 30, 2006 6:13 AM
This is a unique Jaquet-Droz implementation of the World Time Watch. Jumping Hour with a
change of city by a single push-button:
J-Droz calibre 3663-4 based on the Piguet ebauche, 72 hour power reserve, jumping hour
display, timezone indication on a disc carrying the names of twelve cities.
Jumping hour at 12 o'clock, name of city at six with large minute hands, to change the city,
push the button at 2 o'clock and the correct time will show automatically.
London
Geneve
Istanbul
Moscow
Dubai
Aspen
Mexico
New York
Shanghai
Tokyo
Sydney
Azores
As stated by Jaquet Droz CEO Manuel Emch:
"Regarding the cities, we have chosen them for following reason's:
London: because Pierre Jaquet Droz open his second "manufacture" in this city in 1774 and because it used to be the platform for all the business to China (he used to sell a lot to the emperor of China Ch'ien Lung
Genève: because it became Pierre Jaquet Droz's third "manufacture" (after la Chaux-de-Fonds and London) and the first ever (organized manufacture facility) in the city of Calvin.
Istanbul: yet an other very important market for Pierre Jaquet Droz and for the watch makers of this period (ottomans) and an growing market for watch aficionados.
Moscow: an important market for complication watches and maybe the fastest growing market worldwide.
Not to forget that the Tsar used to be an client of Jaquet Droz. There is still a clock in the Hermitage of St. Petersburg, the truly cultural capital of Russia, but Moscow is the commercial and political capital of Russia.
Dubai: the "platform" of the Middle East which counts for a important part of our turnover.
Aspen: There has been s long discussion between Denver and Aspen. We thought that Aspen has more "... appeal" than Denver. Djakarta could also have been a choice...
Mexico City: There is a lot of collectors from Mexico and we wanted to have at least one South American country represented.
New York: any reason's needed?
Shanghai: well this has been to most difficult choice! Pierre Jaquet Droz sold, as already mentioned, a very large part of his production to the emperor of China.
There are still some clocks and watches in the Forbidden City of Beijing. We chose Shanghai because it's is, in our opinion the commercial capital of China and is about to take over from Hong Kong.
But honestly speaking, I presume that we will have to make an special limited edition (8?) for Singapore (as I used to live there for some time) and Hong Kong and maybe even Beijing. This is maybe the most important time zone as quite a few important cities are located in this time zone and unfortunately it is difficult to make a choice acceptable for all purist's.
While the Earth rotates on its own axis, it revolves around the sun in an irregular elliptical path.
This is the reason that the solar day is not 24 hours we assume but ranges between 23 hours
44 minutes (November 3rd) and 24 hours 14 minutes (February 12th).
Jaquet Droz Equation du Temps illustrates this difference between the true solar time and solar
mean time beautifully as indicated by the blued steel hand with "sun" tip in two shades of gold
running over the slate-grey dial.
The conventional mean solar time are indicated by the very refined blued steel hands. The two
date and month subdials in the shape of opaline silver circles barely touching each other, are
united by an applied metal ring, secured by blued-steel screws.
The Jaquet Droz calibre 3666-4 is based on the Piguet ebauche. The beauty is visible through
the sapphire case-back. It is self-winding, double barrel movement with 72-hour power reserve.
This White Gold watch is a limited edition of only 28 pieces worldwide.
(Jaquet-Droz stock picture)
Originally posted by PeterCDE
This message has been edited by mkt32 on Apr 30, 2006 6:15 AM
Some info's about the Tonneau Lady J001014201:
The time piece bears a self-winding mechanical movement with indication for the date. It has a power reserve of 40 hours.
The tonneau shaped case and the buckle is in white gold.
The dial is out of white mother-of-pearl with 10 diamants set for the hours and with applied white gold numbers for the 12/6. .
Furthermore, the crown is set with a genuine cabochon sapphire.
These are the latest models. We launched them in Basel last year and presented some extensions this year. The Lady's Tonneau with a rutile quartz dial was the runner up as this semi precious stone is unique to lady's models.
Regarding a new line... it's foreseen to launch it end of 2004, beginning of 2005.
Here´s what Bruno told us about his vintage (probably between mid 1960´s and 1970´s) watch:
I can't tell much about this watch.
diameter is +/- 35 mm.
It's very thin 3 or 4 mm.
I guess It's weight must be +/- 20 to 25 gr.
The hands are both size polished.
Ancient pocket watches and automatons, shown at the JD dinner (by bernardcheong)
November 9 2003, 12:42 PM
from a forum post by bernardcheong:
The display of the early watches and automaton of Jacquet Droz was something, especially the pneumatic operation of the egg like device which had singing birds, these got their voices and songs thru belows operated inside the device, the bellows were made of a natural bladder!
The birds inside the device had natural feathers and there was even a bleating goat with fur, all animals were just about a thumb's size!
These pocket watches and the automaton cost a cool couple of million dollars, I had the shock of my life when I accidentally bumped into the stand!
This is the most fantastic piece of machinery! There are rotating discs inside which can be "programmed " to alter the bird's songs! The umbrella on the top opens to reveal a couple of birds and a goat. Sounds boring? NOT...it is a fantastic show of precision work...from over a hundred years ago!
Two guests examing the truly magnificent automaton by Jacquet Droz! (for reference of the piece´s size)
Among other pieces on display this interesting table clock can be seen, which comes not only with a "music box" but a "singing bird" complication as well:
Simply incredible miniature enamel painting, as well as a very early center-second watch:
An interesting clock; it does not only have a "music box", but a number of gongs with different tunes. At the time visited it was under repair, so the mechanism was visible on the dial side as well:
A nice bunch of early Jaquet Droz pieces, mostly made for the Chinese and Turkish markets with enamel painting and gem setting:
All of the pictures really don´t do the watches, clocks and automatons justice.
(The prototype of Les Lunes, do not look as good as the real object of desire)
