Ever Met an Antiquarian Horologist?

Brittany Nicole Cox describes herself as a mechanic from the 17th century "People used to believe that horologists were sorcerers." In fact, she notes, some of the earliest automata were mechanical heavens, hells, or demons commissioned by churches One recent singing-bird box, a project Cox inherited from a client of her mentor, the late horologist Dennis E.

Harmon, required months of analysis before she discovered that a single spring, the thick- ness of a hair, was just slightly too strong To the delight of automata fans, a handful of modern craftspeople and watchmakers are reviving the old-world art Here are antiquarian horologist Brittany Nicole Cox's top picks.

Known for building a variety of automata, including Pierrots that write and orchestras composed of animals, Swiss watchmaker Junod cut his teeth in restoration and now also creates new automata under his own name Shargorodsky's antique singing-bird automata bring a taste of the treasures once owned by kings and queens to modern clients with a penchant for the extra- ordinary, like the below handcrafted egg, which conceals a diamond- encrusted songbird. . Source