THE MATTERHORN ON YOUR WRIST
The watchmakers from La Chaux-de-Fonds pay homage to their native land in this limited edition with a dial made from rock taken from the Matterhorn, the Alpine peak that is one of the symbols of Switzerland.
Nature was always at the heart of the work of Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790). Two of the specialities that made his reputation were singing birds and the use of rocks and minerals as ornamental gems. And gemstones can still be found on the dials of some watches by Jaquet Droz, the brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as for example in the limited edition Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite.
Just 88 models are available, exclusively reserved for the Swiss market. The dial features a disc made of serpentinite, a metamorphic rock with a yellowish or dark green colour, and a look and feel a little like a snake’s scales. The rock was taken from the abrupt slopes of the Matterhorn. This pyramid-shaped summit rises to an altitude of 4,478m. It is not only the 12th highest mountain in the Alps, but is also a symbol of Switzerland. The serpentinite decorating the dial on the Grande Seconde Moon Swiss Serpentinite produces an effect of depth due to the many veins running across it.
On this uneven surface, two sub-dials circled with silver form the outline of a figure 8 – the other Jaquet Droz symbol – with the two loops of different sizes: the hours and minutes are displayed with two lancine-type hands near 12 o’clock, while the seconds are at 6 o’clock. A large sub-dial contains two other complications, a date with a hand tipped in red and a moon phase decorated with white-gold stars.
These features are powered by a self-winding calibre, the JD2660QL3, which is housed in a 43mm-wide steel case and generates a power reserve of 68 hours.
Price: 18,800 CHF jaquet-droz.com
By Sharmila Bertin