Jaquet Droz Watches

Pierre Jaquet Droz was born on July 28, 1721 on a small farm in Switzerland in a place called La Chaux-de-Fonds. He took training from his older relatives and mastered the art of clock making. Between 1738 to 1747, he created many grandfather clocks with sophisticated movements.

He traveled to Paris, Geneva, and London and learnt the art of watchmaking from renowned artisans of that era. He was known for creating mechanical clocks, pocket watches, wristwatches, singing birds, and automata.

He manufactured 6000 pieces of his own creation of ''the android'' ''The writer'' which could actually write with a quill pen and ink. His ''The musician'' was bought by 2500 admirers and ''The Draughtsman'' by 2000 nobles and kings. Some scientists consider these humanoids as the first computer as they had read-only programs fitted into them.

Pierre Jaquet Droz started his own watch manufacturing unit at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1738. Today that company has grown into a giant one as a part of the Swatch group which has a turnover of 5.6 CHF in 2020 (Swiss Franc). Due to the global pandemic, the sales figures were badly impacted. In 2019 the revenue of the Swatch Group was 8.24 CHF.

The Figure 8 Inspiration

Figure 8 symbolizes infinity and many cultures consider it auspicious and a symbol of prosperity and abundance. The coveted Jaquet Droz watch brand considered the figure of 8 as a sign of balance. To date, many of their famous creations like Grande Seconde models or their Lady 8 watches feature a number 8 shaped dial and case. Their exclusive “numerus clausus” editions too included watches shaped like the figure of 8. This collection launches only 8, 28, or 88 watches for the exclusive few to grab them.

Master of artistic dials

Jaquet Droz watches are known for their craftsmanship and amazing dials. They are one of the best dial manufacturers in the world. They use ancient enameling techniques like Grand Feu and Paillonné and very few watch manufacturers use these techniques in today's world. They also are experts in the miniature painting of the dials. The hands often have engraved artwork which is loved by many watch-lovers across the globe.

Automata collection

Pierre Jaquet Droz returned back to his native La Chaux-de-Fonds after earning large sums of money in 1759, and he focused all his time on making watches and clocks. His son Henri-Louis and his neighbor's son whom he considered as his adopted son Jean-Frédéric Leschot helped him in manufacturing sophisticated watches known as automata.

He also created three humanoids ''The writer,'' ''The Draughtsman'' and ''The musician'' and showcased them along with his masterpiece watches in various exhibitions in Geneva, Switzerland. These humanoids were fitted with mechanical parts and they used to move. They were later known as ''the androids'' and now they are kept in the Museum of Arts and History in Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

They also took their watch collection Automata to then king Louis XVII and his wife Marie-Antoinette who were later the cause of the infamous French revolution.

Pierre Jaquet Droz showcased his automata collection to the courts in London, Holland, Northern France, and Flanders between 1780 and 1781. The same collection was appreciated in the court of Lyon in 1794. Motivated by the appreciation of the kings and nobles in Europe, Pierre Jaquet Droz took his automata collection to the Kazan court in Russia and many other courts in Madrid, Rome, etc.

The current automata collection pays tribute to the master craftsman Pierre Jaquet Droz and his exceptional amalgamation of complex Automata mechanisms with other watchmaking expertise. The other traditional art crafts like miniature painting, enameling, carving in the watch-hands, and gem-setting are used in the modern collection of Automata watches. Both wristwatches and pocket watches display this grand innovation by the iconic 18th-century watchmaker.

The Ateliers D'art collection

The Ateliers D'art collection was launched by Jaquet Droz in 2011 and it employs traditional art crafts like the miniature painting and enameling on the dials and cases of the watch. Intricate intaglio printing on the dials and sculpted and engraved ornamentation on the hands and the case are the USP of this collection.

The Grande Seconde collection

Inspired by the historic pocket watch created by Jaquet Droz in 1785, the ''The Grande Seconde collection'' displays a dial inspired by the figure of 8. There is an extra-large seconds hand that sets this watch apart from the rest of the Swiss-made watches. There is an off-centered sub-dial that showcases the hour and minutes hands. The big dial is extremely legible and people with less than perfect eyesight prefer it a lot.

Petite Heure Minute Line

This collection does not showcase the famous figure of 8 dial layout. Even the large seconds hand too is missing in this design. There is a small off-centered dial for hours and minutes surrounded with hand-painting makes this watch line unique. The dials are crafted with delicate materials like astorite, aventurine, cuprite and mother-of-pearl. Some of the models display date and they were included as Grande date models in this collection.

The Astrale collection

There is no single design principle followed in this collection. Different dial layouts, features, and specifications make this collection unique. There are multiple minimalistic single-hand watches in this collection. You will also find complex models like Perpetual Calendar Eclipse increasing the beauty of this collection.

Sports Watches

The masculine characteristics which the sports collection showcases have made this collection a favorite of many players like the famous NBA basketball player Michael Jordan. The bold design speaks volumes about the wearer’s style statement. They manufacture the collection of sports watches only for men.

Jaquet Droz Lady 8

The signature figure 8 shaped cases make this an ultimate favorite of elegant women across the globe. There are multiple dial versions to choose from- aventurine, malachite, engraved gold, mother-of-pearl, and ruby heart.

Jaquet Droz watches are a perfect amalgamation of poetic beauty and precise timekeeping mechanisms. If someone is looking for classic design and modern features, this is the right choice for them. The fine traditions of high-horology and the complex mechanisms of Jaquet Droz watches can be appreciated through their sapphire crystal case-backs. Now owned by Swatch, the automatic versions of Jaquet Droz watches feature gold oscillating weights. The miniature paintings of birds make them unique in the world of high-end handcrafted watches. The gemstone fitted watches too from the Jaquet Droz watches collections make them exquisite.