![]() ![]() Again, these were marketed toward the ultra-wealthy, who wanted each to be more magnificent than the last. A range of animals and humans were created in an endless assortment of incredibly decadent items. Jaquet Droz automata didn’t end with birds. ![]() These might be activated on command, or be set to play on the hour (for example). Inside the cage might be any number of automata. You would tell the time by walking underneath it. The cage was meant to be hung and on the bottom of it was a clock (facing down). One popular Jaquet Droz product that incorporated these automaton birds was a birdcage style hall clock. These small automated bird puppets moved and sang life-like songs thanks to a bellows and whistle system. One such novelty gadget that proved very popular in that era was the singing bird automaton. ![]() Collectively I don’t know what to call them other than high-luxury novelty gadgets. Jaquet Droz started as a clock maker but seemed to quickly focus on other items as well. Despite a lot of success, I believe it was actually the French Revolution and activity of Napoleon which removed a lot of clients and income streams for the Jaquet Droz company (that was being run by his family at the time). Most of his work took place in the late 1700s to the early 1800s. Jaquet Droz was Swiss from around La-Chaux-de-Fonds. This is less of a problem and more of a challenge for Jaquet Droz, who can benefit greatly by showing people what their forefather was all about. This fact is actually really interesting because you have a brand with a cool history that is unable to really display much of that history in their modern products. The most impressive elements from Jaquet Droz’s history are too complicated to have a place in modern wrist watches – for the most part. The focus of the brand would be to assert a beautiful historic look while also recreating some of the aesthetic wonders that marked Jaquet Droz in his time during the latter part of the 18 th century. Admittedly elegant, the design of the dials with that of the seconds being larger was both unique and very friendly to the growing Chinese market (who very widely consider the number eight as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune). They focused the core look and feel of the brand around the look of an obscure pocket watch with two overlapping dials that formed a figure eight. In the year 2000 the Swatch Group revived the Jaquet Droz name and re-launched the brand after a considerable absence from the market. Looking back at his work and legacy, his products and ideas are still incredibly impressive over 200 years later. He helped create many of the marketing techniques that high-end watch makers still use today to market and sell their products. Pierre Jaquet Droz on the other hand is remembered not only for producing incredibly impressive technology, but also for his showmanship. Much of them can be summed up as “man X did in fact make watches or clocks 150 – 200 years ago.” Two of the names that do come with a really impressive history are Breguet and Jaquet Droz (both conveniently owned by the Swatch Group now).īreguet is well considered to be the “father of modern watch making.” If you study his work and are lucky enough to see some of his surviving creations you’ll see why. A lot of today’s watch brands that bear vintage names don’t always have the most interesting histories. It also helps when your history includes impressive things. This is especially true in Europe where with age comes legitimacy. Watch brands like to pump up their history a lot. ![]()
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