A colour of the imagination, reverie and meditation, blue has always inspired Jaquet Droz which, from its origins to the present day, has often chosen to array its creations in this shade. Starting in the Enlightenment, its pocket watches and precious snuff boxes celebrated every conceivable nuance of blue. Remaining true to its spirit, the Manufacture from La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, has developed a magnificent collection of five timepieces, each available in a limited edition of eight exclusive watches featuring a dial enamelled with a remarkably intense blue... the Jaquet Droz blue. This rich, deep and luminous blue is a natural candidate for Grand Feu enamelling, the Manufacture's most famous technique. Whereas the ivory or black enamel needs 10 to 15 firings, the blue requires no fewer than 20. Before each one, the dial surface is dusted with an imperceptible layer of powder, no more than a millimetre thick. This meticulous superposition of layers is what gives the blue its special radiance and distinctive hue. Fully mastered by the Manufacture's artisans, who perform more than forty operations by hand, the technique calls for tremendous dexterity, patience and meticulousness. Even so, less than one dial out of ten passes inspection to adorn one of the five providential models of La Ligne Bleue: the Grande Seconde, the Grande Seconde Medium, the Grande Date, the QuantiÈme PerpÉtuel and L’Origine Email.




Source: Europa Star October-November 2009 Magazine Issue