- The Worlds of Jaquet Droz reveals part of the expansive universe of
pre-industrial watchmaking while drawing parallels between past and
present productionshere are names in horological history that echo much
more than just watches... Such is the case of Jaquet-Droz, 18th Swiss
watchmakers with an international horizon, whose ceremonial clocks,
prodigious androids, fashionable birdcages, pocket watches with moving
scenes or collector's snuffboxes remain the stuff of dreams for
passionate enthusiasts. Today, the Maison Jaquet Droz continues to draw
its inspiration from this rich heritage in order to reinterpret
techniques and aesthetics, pushing back the boundaries of watchmaking
and representing a perpetual source of fascination for collectors. Based
on the latest research on the subject and published on the occasion of
the 300th anniversary of the birth of Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-2021),
this book offers a deep dive into the history of characters with a
captivating journey. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in what was then the
principality of Neuchâtel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz founded a watchmaking
workshop and developed it through a combination of technical, artistic
and commercial skills enabling it to reach international markets. His
son Henry-Louis developed the family business and further diversified
production, a significant portion of which found its way to China and
its dignitaries, devotees of luxurious and ingenious mechanical marvels.
This richly illustrated book aims to enable a rediscovery of their
mechanical masterpieces as well as those of the Maison Jaquet Droz,
whose rebirth and recent history are recounted here. These splendid
historical and contemporary pieces embody a love of technical challenges
and a taste for artistic refinement, adhering as much as possible to the
sources of inspiration offered by nature. The Worlds of Jaquet Droz thus
reveals part of the expansive universe of pre-industrial watchmaking
while drawing parallels between past and present productions.
