Why don't we talk more about ...... Jaquet Droz?
Jaquet Droz is a favorite brand of mine due to my obsession with complications and artistry. This brand has always offered both, but they have also been expensive. I hope to put one on my wrist some day.
Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born in 1721 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He began to take a serious interest in clockmaking From 1738 to 1747, Pierre Jaquet-Droz devoted himself entirely to clockmaking. He produced a series of longcase (or “grandfather”) clocks whose increasingly sophisticated movements outclassed anything that had yet been produced. He then created watchmaking movements with music and automata. Within no time, his creations had caught the attention of a wealthy and demanding clientèle.
With a promise of an introduction to King Ferdinand VI of Spain, he journeyed with six clocks, for 49 days in 1758. The monarch and his court were dumbfounded at the sight of a clock that could strike on request without needing manual intervention. A few days later, the clockmaker received 2,000 gold pistoles in payment for the timepieces that he had brought to Spain, all of which were purchased for the royal palaces of Madrid and Villaviciosa.
Upon his return to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1759, the large sum of money he had brought back from Spain enabled Pierre Jaquet-Droz to concentrate exclusively on making watches and clocks and the automata that were to make his name. Through the later 1770s and 1780s he sold many pieces to royalty throughout Europe and Asia.
In 1784, he decided to move to Geneva, finding its artistic and literary life to his taste. There, he set up a factory and school. In 1790 due to a number of mishaps, the company fell into financial hardship. Later that year Pierre Jaquet-Droz died in Bienne, Switzerland.
In 2000 Montres Jaquet Droz was acquired by the Swatch group.
My name is Rich and I am building a collection of unique complications. I know it sounds more like the way you start a watch museum and not a personal collection. So far I have a Tourbillion, Retrogra...
No doubt about the history and craftsmanship but they just aren't for me. I like more practical and less artsy watches. For the most part all I see is a 16mm watch dial surrounded by incredibly crafted, but uninteresting to me, artwork. I also see a snowman in many of their designs.
But that's me.
Another new (to me) brand. Very interesting history, and I appreciate the work that has gone into these creations, but they don't speak to me (except the last pic). Like @foghorn , I also see snowmen on the dials shown above.
It's a very niche brand, so it's not going to appeal as broadly as a brand like Omega, Rolex, Seiko, etc...
It's also a very high end brand, and the reality is that most of us will never at any time in our lives even be in the same room as a person wearing a Jaquet Droz.
I tend to be pragmatic about my hobbies, if I can't reasonably expect to own/interact with something I don't even think about it. Why waste mental capacity on something in a hobby that essentially only exists as a concept?
These are not for me but I appreciate the introduction to this brand. Thank you!
For many reasons we unfortunately can't own everything that we appreciate but that doesn't mean they don't exist and can't be discussed. My mission is to try to get conversation beyond Casio, Seiko, Rolex, Tudor, Citizen and "What watch should I by next?"
I don't expect everyone to like every brand I post or every watch I picture. I really appreciate those of you who have read my threads and responded. If I have introduced you to a brand you aren't familiar with or if I have made you think about a brand that you don't think about often, then I think I may have done some good. It is okay to see a headless snowman when all I see is a figure eight.
Love the idea of the Bourbon court, complaining about waitlists with their Jaquet-Droz AD after the king has bought up all the available stock! I enjoy these a lot. As one of my favorite professors told us, without a link to the past the present is chaos, and the future unreadable.
because we cannot afford it haha 🤣
I think that other brands tend to overshadow JD -- including its Swatch Group stablemate, Breguet.
For my part, I haven't been talking about this brand because I was unaware of it. Like others, I don't think what they make is for me (even if I could afford it), but it's certainly interesting. I think you do the community a service when you bring less well know brands to our attention, so thank you for that.
Beautiful Watches.. I have a live wallpaper on my phone with JD..
Missing a huge chunk of info from 1800 to 2000… if you get a 1970s Jaquet Droz (which are quite affordable) you will get a “jobber”. Modern JD is nothing to do with JD, but that is not to take away from the craft, but you are not on the receiving end of 300+ years of legacy.
The second to last watch, with the bluish purple dial, looks amazing to me! I would definitely buy it if it was within my means. Of course it is not!
Missing a huge chunk of info from 1800 to 2000… if you get a 1970s Jaquet Droz (which are quite affordable) you will get a “jobber”. Modern JD is nothing to do with JD, but that is not to take away from the craft, but you are not on the receiving end of 300+ years of legacy.
That brings up an interesting discussion point. What is required to maintain continuity of legacy? Obviously, it can't be the original founder and/or watchmaker. There must be something in the design. But modern times necessitate some alterations to the original. So what is continuity?
Is it Rolex which hardly change their design? Or is it also Omega with many design changes and wider variety of looks. Or is it simply continuity of operations, like VC? But what if they suddenly change their entire design language? Unlikely of course, but as a point of discussion to explore this. I'm genuinely curious about others point of view.
Interesting.... Still... A G-Shock Frogman is as funky and weird I'd be willing to go 😅
That brings up an interesting discussion point. What is required to maintain continuity of legacy? Obviously, it can't be the original founder and/or watchmaker. There must be something in the design. But modern times necessitate some alterations to the original. So what is continuity?
Is it Rolex which hardly change their design? Or is it also Omega with many design changes and wider variety of looks. Or is it simply continuity of operations, like VC? But what if they suddenly change their entire design language? Unlikely of course, but as a point of discussion to explore this. I'm genuinely curious about others point of view.
It’s not really that complicated, and you’ve already answered your own question somewhat.
The original post is talking about Pierre Jaquet-Droz, and his immediate life and work. It’s then a big jump to 2000… you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s all stemming from that, but it’s incredibly misleading.
When your original company (albeit not really the original company) is dissolved in 1963, resurrected in name only in 1965, dissolved again in 1983, and is relaunched in 1993, saved from oblivion in 1999 and is then acquired by the Swatch Group in the 2000s, the real question you need to ask is “what is Jaquet Droz”?
Awesome looking watches. There was one I saw a video on that had birds and a chime. Far, far beyond my means.
The second to last watch, with the bluish purple dial, looks amazing to me! I would definitely buy it if it was within my means. Of course it is not!
The very last dial made in this video is guaranteed to blow you away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra1-FdjdfTE
It’s not really that complicated, and you’ve already answered your own question somewhat.
The original post is talking about Pierre Jaquet-Droz, and his immediate life and work. It’s then a big jump to 2000… you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s all stemming from that, but it’s incredibly misleading.
When your original company (albeit not really the original company) is dissolved in 1963, resurrected in name only in 1965, dissolved again in 1983, and is relaunched in 1993, saved from oblivion in 1999 and is then acquired by the Swatch Group in the 2000s, the real question you need to ask is “what is Jaquet Droz”?
You make a great point. I believe(because I want to) that the management has stayed true the spirit of Jaquet Droz by making watches that are mechanically exceptional and artistically beautiful and affordable to royalty. Since most historic brands have either been forced to cease operation and have fallen out of family hands, I don't think we can ask for more then for the company to follow suit in the spirit of the work done by the originator.
Awesome looking watches. There was one I saw a video on that had birds and a chime. Far, far beyond my means.
The watch pictured first is one of Droz most famous and expensive designs. The birds move their wings and sing while the egg in the middle cracks open to reveal a chick.
You make a great point. I believe(because I want to) that the management has stayed true the spirit of Jaquet Droz by making watches that are mechanically exceptional and artistically beautiful and affordable to royalty. Since most historic brands have either been forced to cease operation and have fallen out of family hands, I don't think we can ask for more then for the company to follow suit in the spirit of the work done by the originator.
It’s a grey area… I think after about 4 iterations it’s pretty much a brand name rather than anything pertaining to the original family and their automata. Perhaps you are right, but in the 1960s the JD story got very messy, and if you see a 1970s model you will naturally wonder what the hell does a plain grey-dialled jobber have in common with a Bird Repeater (spoiler alert - absolutely nothing).
The watch pictured first is one of Droz most famous and expensive designs. The birds move their wings and sing while the egg in the middle cracks open to reveal a chick.
Yeah, that’s the one! My AD has the brand. But it’s beyond my means, sadly.
I'm beginning to be able to appreciate the artwork & craftsmanship in a watch without the need to own it.
These really are works of art; maybe not first, but at least on a par with their ability to tell time.
As a person who comes from a family that has worked with their hands, I have a bit of an idea what it takes to make these pieces and the achievements are truly nothing short of impressive & worthy of accolades.
I appreciate that you share these as we are all busy and typically only research those things which we might intend to purchase. I need to make an effort to look into these brands you are sharing.
I think they're neat, but if I had that much money I'd probably buy something else. I feel like many others probably feel the same way, which is why they tend to fly under the radar.
It’s not really that complicated, and you’ve already answered your own question somewhat.
The original post is talking about Pierre Jaquet-Droz, and his immediate life and work. It’s then a big jump to 2000… you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s all stemming from that, but it’s incredibly misleading.
When your original company (albeit not really the original company) is dissolved in 1963, resurrected in name only in 1965, dissolved again in 1983, and is relaunched in 1993, saved from oblivion in 1999 and is then acquired by the Swatch Group in the 2000s, the real question you need to ask is “what is Jaquet Droz”?
I agree on the Jaquet-Droz. But my question was really the other direction. What is the requirement for legacy continuity? Specifically. Continuous operation, design consistency, what?
Recently, I went to JD boutique in Tokyo. Not that I was interested in JD. It just happened to be next to Glashutte Original which I wanted to see.
The guy at JD told me that the watches they had there were the last ones that would be readily available to buy. And that after those are gone they would only take custom orders, which I imagine will be extremely expensive
If you want one, you'd better hurry, well, unless you are ready to custom order💸
I agree on the Jaquet-Droz. But my question was really the other direction. What is the requirement for legacy continuity? Specifically. Continuous operation, design consistency, what?
Again, grey area… but it’s not JD. This post would read like it was, if you stopped the story at 1790 and pick it up again at 2000.
They make amazing stuff but are terrible on resale. Dials are usually too big so people tend to buy other brands.
My only real bone to pick is the general size of their watches. For the design, they are massive.