Jaquet Droz Enigmatic Simplicity in Onyx and Steel

A company born from the brilliance of Pierre Jaquet-Droz ,a Master of Mechanics capable of building mechanical wonders the likes of which were never seen in the midst of the 18th century, has now unleashed a watch of enigmatic brilliance.
  The Grande Heuere Onyx ,available in stores May 2012, bares a dial of flawless monochrome onyx. A single hour hand  slides unrestrained across an expansive universe of space and time hinting at an empty future yet to be trodden. Although the single hand represents an early version of timekeeping dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries where simple clocks only had one hand, the numbers on the dial represent a much newer version of timekeeping - Sandford Flemings 24 hour clock. Click here to read a in depth discussion on modern day timekeeping.

A single hand stretches over 24 diminutive Arabic numerals and makes clear contact with highly discernible indices. This enables precision time read out.
The blackness of the onyx dial - punctuated by a single hand and rimmed in a steel bezel- provides the illusion that the Sapphire Crystal ,surrounded by a steel bezel, is a window into a black hole and at its center is a single rod of light pointing at a space in time.  After all is that not what is time? A window into a void not yet created?

The stark whiteness of the hand is due to a rhodium treatment, which reflects a unique silvery white.


The automatic is automatic powered by a Jaquet Droz 24JD53 (in-house). The movement is equipped with a double barrel and incorporates a heavy metal oscillating weight. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters and is enabled with a 68 hour power reserve.  A rolled alligator strap secured with an stainless steel buckle seals the deal.

Jaquet Droz in its quest for timekeeping simplicity has opened a window into the complexity of time.