Jaquet Droz: the brand values and expertise. Invitation to JD exhibition within.

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Jaquet Droz: we explore the brand The values it represents, and the expertise it offers to modern horology We begin our exploration of the brand values of this maison way of examples through these three pillars – the Grande Seconde, the Arteliers d’Art, and Automatons

 

The Jaquet Droz Pillars

Jaquet Droz defines 8 codes which shapes the identity of the brand.

These codes are as follows”

Grande Seconde
Automata
Ateliers d’art
Grand Feu enameling
Watchcase
Exceptional mechanisms
Minerals
Numerus Clausus

In our exploration of the brand values, we begin with the first three, set as pillars of the brand We examine each in sequence:

 

The Grande Seconde

The Grande Seconde was the first watch to be introduced when the Jaquet Droz brand was re-introduced in 2002 The watch is a basic design which has become the calling card of the brand.

The design is defined by the the hours and minutes sub-dial which is off centered at 12 o’clock, embracing a large seconds subdial situated at 6 o’clock This arrangement has a harmonious and beautiful aesthetic, which embodies what JD stands for The two subeials form a figure of 8, a symbol of infinity and an important number in traditional Chinese numerology

Many variations, each limited, of this basic blueprint exists.

The latest which we recently reviewed from Baselworld 2018 is the Skelet-One, a skeletonized variant, using a clever interplay of skeletonisation, a solid toroidal shaped hour sub-dial and a transparent seconds sub-dial Making a very elegant and beautiful interpretation of the schema.

 

Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One is a revealing watch The movement is left to the discretion of the viewer

 

The Automatons – the Tropical Bird Minute Repeater 

Automatas are the cornerstone in which the Pierre Jaquet-Droz first his expertise to advertise his mastery of the craft of mechanical movements.

His automata, principally three doll automata built between 1768 and 1774 by Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis, and Jean-Frédéric Leschot They are the Musician, the Draughtsman and the Writer The dolls are still functional, and can be seen at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire of Neuchâtel, in Switzerland

The automata are totally mechanical in nature, their movements are defined by the precise cams which mimic human movement, and quite startlingly so.

We visited the museum in the winter of 2017, and observed them working and also got a chance to see the mechanism Here we show the most complicated of the three – the Writer.

 

The writer is the most complex of the three automata originally created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis, and Jean-Frédéric Leschot between 1768 and 1774 Using a system similar to the one used for the draughtsman for each letter, he is able to write any custom text up to 40 letters long.

The text is coded on a wheel where characters are selected one by one He uses a goose feather to write, which he inks from time to time, including a shake of the wrist to prevent ink from spilling His eyes follow the text being written, and his head moves when he takes some ink

 

The mechanism of []

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Invitation to JD exhibition within. appeared first on DEPLOYANT.

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