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Jaquet Droz Quantieme Perpetuel Calendar Watch Available On James List

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 07:03:17 +0000

Discussing Jaquet Droz watches in the US is almost futile. It isn't that you can't find this small Swatch Group brand in the US, but rather that it is extremely rare. I saw my first one in Europe personally. I've always liked this brand but haven't known what to make of it. A lot of their designs are good, but currently they lack direction and leadership as far as I can tell. The last time the brand was really on my radar in any serious way was when Manuel Emch (current CEO of Romain Jerome) was the head honcho over there.

This Jaquet Droz watch from a few years ago is a great example of what the brand is capable of in terms of design. This specific model is itself extremely rare said to have been made as a limited edition of just 8 pieces. 8 being an important number and symbol for the brand as it is a good luck number in Asia (where a lot of Jaquet Droz pieces are apparently sold). This model is the Quantieme Perpetuel Calendar watch in 18k rose gold. There was another version that was not limited which was offered in 18k white gold.

Via the various images here you can see how this collection has evolved. Each of these watches used the Jaquet Droz caliber 5863 automatic perpetual calendar movement. With a lovely symmetrical set of dials and retrograde hands, this is a very unique and impressive layout for a perpetual calendar set of complications. The other images are there to show you have Jaquet Droz has implemented this movement in other watches.

The 18k rose gold case is 43mm wide and comes attached to a black crocodile strap. The dial is a mixture of elements and includes blued-steel hands. A bit hard to tell, the dial is gold and Aventurine. It almost looks as though Jaquet Droz asked F.P. Journe for help with the design. The dial includes the time with subsidiary seconds dial, retrograde day and date, month dial, and a small leap year indicator window. You can see the movement through a rear sapphire caseback window.

While this Jaquet Droz watch is a lovely thing, it is also very expensive. Original price for the limited edition Quantieme Perpetuel Calendar model in 18k rose gold was said to be over $60,000. Price now for one on James List is about $39,500 - check it out here.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Jaquet Droz Eclipse Watch

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:37:18 +0000

This is a more "simple" Jaquet Droz watch with an annual calendar and a quirky moon phase indicator. Called the Eclipse it comes in a 18k gold case and a nice black enamel dial. Nice? Sure. Super Jaquet Droz in character? Not really. Where is the 'figure 8' dial we like so much? Once the brand gets new leadership, we will see where the core design sits after the dust settles. Priced at $27,900.
Read my article on the Jaquet Droz Eclipse watch here at Haute Living.

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$13,200.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 20m
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$10,500.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 21m
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$14,995.00
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Time Remaining: 2d 10h 45m

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Court Orders F.P. Journe To Pay Jaquet Droz Legal Costs In Lost Case Over Intellectual Property Rights

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:42:03 +0000

I really wish I could read French right now. It seems that even though I am an attorney I don't quite understand this case. First is the language barrier, and second is the legal barrier.Â UPDATE: I've learned that the translated text was so confusing that I got the facts (not the law) of this case wrong. To please see the updated version as follows...

This is a European case that isn't applying US law. But let me give it to you as I understanding. After 5 years, and at least one appeal, Swiss watch maker F.P. Journe has been ordered to pay damages to Jaquet Droz and the Swatch Group (owner of Jaquet Droz) in the amount of tens of thousands of euros for infringement of Jaquet Droz's intellectual property rights for legal cost damages. It looks like Jaquet Droz was accused by FP Journe to have copied designs that FP Journe allegedly has created. This this would have been a copyright infringement case . Let me explain (not a hardcore legal discussion, don't worry).

In the world of watches, protecting a design under an intellectual property theory is very tough. That is because most of the watch design is considered functional, difficult to remove from the "purely aesthetic" elements, and mostly under the realm of patent law to protect, if at all. There is also the concept of designs that cannot be protected because they have been around so long, as countless watch designs have utilized them. So for all intents and purposes, most watch designs are in the "public domain," because it has "all been done before."

What can be protected aside from those functional elements where a patent is specially obtained, are items that fall under copyright or trademark law. Again, I am using US law, but it is likely quite similar in Europe (at least in France and Switzerland). Trademark law is going to protect things such as logos, "signature" or iconic (distinctive) traits of a watch brand that lead consumers to believe they are from a particular brand. Aside from logos and such, this is tough to prove, but theoretically should protect certain things. On the copyright angle, we have those original artistic expressions that are protected. But here you need to prove designs are original (tough), and you need show copying to a degree. Slight changes here and there could still be infringements (derivative protections), but often are not. Look at the classic example of the Rolex Submariner. There are countless "copies" of the watch. All that don't say "Rolex" on them are likely perfectly legal "copies." Why? Because they are simply applying a theme or type of watch. Things like a rotating diver's bezel, the hour markers, hands, bracelet, etc... can all said to be "functional" and not artistic expression. For that reason only a patent could protect them - and such patents would have expired long ago if there were ever obtained in the first place.

So going back to the F.P. Journe and Jaquet Droz situation. In 2004 FP. Journe apparently accused Jaquet Droz of copying the looks of its Octa Automatic watch - that has a small frame secured with three screws over the smaller hours and minutes, with a second subdial in the middle of the watch dial. It is really the three screws and their "figure 8" layout which FP. Journe was accusing Jaquet Droz of copying. Everything I have read about this situation was translated from French, so I am doing my best to understand it all. Based on the language, it appears at though the issue was based around copyright - but it could have trademark infringement elements in it. This is because the FP Journe Octa watch featured this design, and they could have made the argument that there is a consumer association between the design and the brand. Trademark protection is all about product or service origination association, and (real or likely) consumer confusion.

Both courts sided with Jaquet Droz and not FP Journe. Why? Because Jaquet Droz presented evidence of older pocket watch designs that it copied, and that those designs not only predated the FP Journe designs, but that they were not original to FP Journe. Why did FP Journe end up paying Jaquet Droz even though they brought the suit? I believe that because the law in Europe sometimes has the losing party pay for the legal costs of the winning party. The specific watch that FP Journe released that had the infringing design was the Octa (see above is the Octa Perpetual watch in titanium). I am not 100% sure this specific watch was part of the suit (as I seems to have been released recently), but it does display how FP Journe used the design that they alleged was being copied.

I personally suspect that the suit was based on a degree of bad blood between the companies. There are potentially dozens of situations like this each year that occur. Where one company could theoretically sue another watch maker for intellectual property infringement and have a good case. Why don't they? One, because it is expensive as hell, and the results are highly speculative. Plus, I believe that this typing of "copying" is often an accepted part of the watch industry. Watches are often sold due to quality, branding, and marketing. Not about who has right combination of design elements. The major weapon many watch companies have is their brand images, and sometimes the technical ability to do things that one could not copy even if they wanted to.

Given the years of time and massive legal expenses it is unclear exactly what FP Journe wanted to prove by funding this legal battle. They ended up having to actually pay the Swatch Group, even after all the years of bitter battling. Seems like a not so wise thing to do for a smaller independent watch brand. If you think about it, all Jaquet Droz needed to do was prove that the FP Journe watch design was not original and it was "case closed" so to say.

As to my suspicion of bad blood between the opponents, I can only speculate as to the reasons, but the situation seems likely given what is at risk weighed with the potential outcome of the case. Having had a difficult time dealing with FP Journe myself, I can easily see why they might get overly zealous in a situation like this. Plus, it is well known in the watch industry that the Swatch Group is very hard headed and won't stand down from a (real or potential) fight. Further still, I believe it is a matter of pride for the watch makers and executives involved. They hate having their ideas stripped as they feel a deep sense of ownership over those watches they release. All the watches involved here are high-end to very high-end. So the pool of people that would even be consumers or know what the watches here are is small. If this were an issue involving watches where millions of units are made, then it would have been a more practical legal battle.

I last want to say that if this case occurred in the US, applying US law, I don't think the case would have lasted quite that long. European laws tend to be more protective of intellectual property when it comes to art (and watch design falls into that). In the US, really only copyright or trademark law could have applied. The use of screws on dials, and frames around subdials has been done before, and frequently. So have overlapping subdials. Thus, I feel that at least in the US, FP Journe would have had a really hard time finding an issue that contained a true question of the law in this regard in the first placeÂ Â - let alone a 5 year long legal battle. Which again, is why you so infrequently see cases like this.

For more information see smaller articles on this case (in French) at these two places on Business Montres and World Tempus. Plus the appeals court decision PDF via World Tempus.

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Customizable Jaquet Droz Les Douze Villes 12 Timezone Collection Watches + Video

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:34:47 +0000

This new watch collection from Jaquet Droz simply epitomizes simplistic operation. They are careful not to call it a world time because it only houses 12 time zones, though the buyer can specify what 12 sequential timezones they will be (and Jaquet Droz will presumably indicate appropriate reference cities for the time zone disc). Looking at the watch you see but three functional pieces of information on the dial: an jumping hour window, and minute hand, and a window with the a city name. And really that is all you need. Pressing the pusher at 2 o'clock cycles through the timezones and changes the city name as well as the hour. With just 12 time zones to go through you can only cycle in one direction. More complex multi-time zone watches allow you to cycle in both directions.

Other customizations include white gold and rose gold colored cases as well as various dial treatments. You can see a gallery of a few more interesting Jaquet Droz Les Douze Villes watch dial choices here.Â In addition to the rose gold with black enamel is a white gold version with a meteorite dial that is pictured. The lower images design is pleasant, but odd to the degree that you have a central round dial that does not seem to serve and purpose as the minute hand actually uses the larger dial, not the smaller one. A minor point, but worth noting. Jaquet Droz's young looking CEO Manuel Emch takes you through this year's new creations in the video below. Is he trying to grow a beard or does he just need to shave? I can't really tell. I swear it is a distraction when he is talking. Still, he seems to know what he is going and the images of the new Jaquet Droz automaton are really cool. Basically it is a very complex machine that just writes down what time it is on a piece of paper. Consider it a very expensive science project that really only serves the purpose of being interesting to watch operate.

I am considering the utility of the Les Douze Villes collection and whether having just 12 timezones enough. I mean it is for the most part. In the US you'd really only need to cycle through four of them - but once you left this continent the watch wouldn't be ultra useful. Basically you'd have to travel from Europe to part of Asia frequently to take full advantage of the watch - without needing more utility. What I really like is the sheer simplicity of the movement operation and information read out. Jumping hour watches are some of my favorite in terms of legibility and ease of use, and this is a very practical integration of that complication. Prices for the Jaquet Droz Les Douze Villes collection will run from about 20,000 - 30,000 Euros.

See Jaquet Droz watches on eBay here.

See Jaquet Droz watches on Amazon here.

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$13,200.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 20m
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Jaquet Droz Petite Hour Minute J005034202 18K WG Limited 43MM Enamel Dial MINT
$10,500.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 21m
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$2,950.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m

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$4,345.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m
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Jaquet Droz Gents Grand Date Chronograph Watch 29700 J024033201
$14,995.00
Time Remaining: 2d 6h 10m
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$8,000.00
Time Remaining: 2d 10h 45m

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Suave Looking Jaquet Droz Ceramic Power Reserve Watch

admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:50:37 +0000

After the recent design success that Jaquet Droz had with its (silly named) Grande Second Sport Utility Watch, the company began to realize an emerging market for the brand that included a younger constituency. The next step it seems is a more toned down, but equally energetic watch which is the Ceramic Power Reserve.

The case is entirely ceramic, which is of course one of the haute materials being used lately. Ceramic cases always have a sheen to them, but can vary in terms of gloss. I'd guess that this Jaquet Droz is somewhere in the middle. You'll probably agree judging from the pictures. The watch comes in either black, with a matching rubber strap. You can get a similar Jaquet Droz watch in white ceramic, but that model does not have a power reserve. I'd have to say that I am reminded of Bell & Ross with their latest BRS watches. Perhaps not the design, but more the overall feeling and tone of the watches. They seem to be aimed squarely at the same market.

The dial shares the typical Jaquet Droz Grande Seconds motif, which has been, and still it nice. The addition of the elegant power reserve indicator is a nice and sport touch, especially when done in red to compliment the red seconds hand. The overlapping hour and minute dial, and seconds dial are framed with a raised metal section that contrasts well with the matte black dial color. A screw on the right side of the dial interacts nicely with the stem of the power reserve indicator. While this look is undoubtedly classic Jaquet Droz, your eyes require little effort in understanding that this is a more interesting and playful design. I call it suave because it does not try very hard, and still looks nice. I do feel as though this watch IS a smooth character.

Inside that watch is an in-house automatic mechanical Jaquet Droz caliber 4063D with double barrels that has a 68 power reserve. The movement is viewable through the see-through caseback window, and the rotor is actually done in 22k gold. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters, which is enough, but don't go giving with it. The rubber strap is nicely textured, and the deployment is steel (PVD coated), not ceramic. Best of all, the watch is largely sized at 44mm wide. I think this is a great looking timepiece, but it won't come cheap. Figure about $10k - $15 retail.

Thanks to PuristSPro.com for some of the Jaquet Droz Ceramic Power Reserve watch photos used.

See Jaquet Droz watches on eBay here.

See Jaquet Droz watches on Amazon here.

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$13,200.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 20m
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$10,500.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 21m
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Jaquet Droz Tonneau GMT Time Zone Small Seconds Manual Wound Watch J001120101
$2,950.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m

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$4,345.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m
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Jaquet Droz Gents Grand Date Chronograph Watch 29700 J024033201
$14,995.00
Time Remaining: 2d 6h 10m
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$8,000.00
Time Remaining: 2d 10h 45m

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Jaquet Droz Grande Second SUW Watch: Sensitive Strong Looks

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:05:43 +0000

Jaquet Droz is another luxury Swatch Group watch brand. I've always seems them a cousin of Breguet (in terms of style), which is also a Swatch Group brand. The majority of their watches are based on a "grand (grande) seconds" display with places emphasis on the seconds read out using an overlapping subsidiary dial which is larger than the dial used to display the hours and minutes. Most of their watches have been "artsy" or formal looking, but the SUW is something different, sort of.

Figuring that their traditional looks were sort of alienating the younger population of watch buyers, Jaquet Droz thought they would liven things up a big injecting a new and more rugged design into their traditional figure eight layout theme. The resulting watch looks really cool actually, but only looks rugged as my inclination is to say that you don't want to go around beating up this watch. Inside is an automatic mechanical movement of course.

The new design is pretty handsome. The fluted bezel is "grasped" by a claw type of caliber. It is just for show, but looks nice abutting the internal steel strip with screws in it. The watch parts of the dial are recessed giving a great looking three dimensional appearance which enhances the visual power of the hands (and at the same time makes them more legible). Orange accenting is in response to an "in" color which hasn't quite been beaten to death yet. The overall idea is to make this watch look as close to some high tech analog instrument panel as possible. Emphasis on the large seconds display probably adds a welcome degree of movement to the watch as the constantly moving part is always noticeable. And for those select few who are more concerned with the seconds elapsed each minute than the time, this watch is meant for you!

Unfortunately, this otherwise handsome watch has had the ill treatment of yet another inept watch marketing or advertising employee. They selected to call this watch the "SUW." Yes, that means "sport utility watch," just like sport utility vehicle. Yea, you know what those are, and aren't you excited to see your watch (which might cost almost as much as the car) named after it. So what is the added sport utility of this watch? There is none, it just looks cooler and more aggressive than most Jaquet Droz watches. Faux armor plating. Is SUW a name worth placing on a watch this expensive? Of course not, it is a retarded name only a simpleton would actually place on a watch. I mean, would you buy a car called the Toyota SUV? No, you wouldn't. If you are like me, you are thinking to yourself, "what idiot let that name go to press?" Probably another watch marketing goon (no offense to the watch marketing goons that I know, its just that most of you know very little about watches and didn't choose your assignments). The message I want to make to the Swatch Group, and other watch makers is to please focus on making nice watches, and leave naming the watches to someone that actually does a good job at it (of which there seems to be a desperate shortage).

Despite my tirade on watch naming practices I really like Jaquet Droz and the Grande Second SUW (I can barley write that with a straight face) a lot. These are handsome watches with a rich helping of avant garde style that still feels appropriate for any owner. Oh, and retail is about $15,000. Figure about $10,000 in stores.

See Jaquet Droz watches on eBay here.

See Jaquet Droz watches on Amazon here.

Jaquet Droz Les Lunes Email Les Lunes Email J012624201 18K WG Limited MINT
$13,200.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 20m
Buy It Now for only: $13,200.00
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Jaquet Droz Petite Hour Minute J005034202 18K WG Limited 43MM Enamel Dial MINT
$10,500.00
Time Remaining: 1d 7h 21m
Buy It Now for only: $10,500.00
Buy It Now

Jaquet Droz Tonneau GMT Time Zone Small Seconds Manual Wound Watch J001120101
$2,950.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m

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Jaquet Droz Tonneau GMT Time Zone Manual Wound Small Seconds J001130101
$4,345.00
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 22m
Buy It Now for only: $4,345.00
Buy It Now

Jaquet Droz Gents Grand Date Chronograph Watch 29700 J024033201
$14,995.00
Time Remaining: 2d 6h 10m
Buy It Now for only: $14,995.00
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18K WHITE GOLD JAQUET DROZ GRANDE DATE WITH BLACK DIAL AND LEATHER STRAP
$8,000.00
Time Remaining: 2d 10h 45m

Bid now

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

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