Another stunning dress watch named Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx comes from the famous Swiss watchmaking house Jaquet Droz. The elegant timepiece, as its name suggests, features an off-centered dial designs.
The creative concept was born in the eighteenth century, when the founder of the brand, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, revolutionized watchmaking with his Grande Seconde. For this contemporary new interpretation, Jaquet Droz’s craftsmen have revisited the “figure 8″ aesthetic by offsetting the seconds and enveloping the two interlocking rings in an air of mystery. The craftsmen of Jaquet Droz have given a twist to this “figure 8″ motif by moving the second dial slightly towards the 7 o’clock position, instead of the usual position at 6 o’clock.
I must say that there is something about the off-centered watches which makes them appealing. The reason is probably the fact that our brains are biologically programmed to look for symmetry, so this concept is quite intriguing for us.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx (ref. J006030270) is housed in a mid-sized 43mm stainless steel case which heightens the intensity of black with an onyx dial that has been cut and polished to a glossy finish in the grand tradition of mineral dials. Maybe you have already noted that the watch features a discreet winding crown which is also off-centered at the 4 o’clock position and embellished with a twin star brand’s motif.
A polished white gold Lance-shaped hands in the upper dial indicate hours and minutes, while a long baton-shaped hand with an open-tipped counterweight in the lower dial indicates seconds. Both dials are nicely rounded with the 18-karat white gold circles.
The Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx Watch houses Jaquet Droz 2663A.P self-winding mechanical movement featuring a silicon balance spring and pallet horns which make it resistant to magnetic fields. The movement comes with a double barrel which provides no less than 68 hours of power reserve. Other features of the movement include flat bridges, heavy metal oscillating weight, with radial Geneva stripes, polished beveled angles and a nice skeletonized rotor, with 3D engraving and polished chamfers. The 30 rubies movement has the oscillating rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
The case of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx model is shielded on both sides with sapphire crystals. From the rear, the look through the sapphire display back offers an amazing panoramic view on the automatic movement. The water resistance is assured down to 30 meters (approximately 100 feet).
The newest Jaquet Droz timepiece is attached to a rolled-edge hand-made black alligator leather strap, fitted with a folding clasp in steel.
