Butterfly Kisses

Jaquet Droz’s spellbinding automaton just one-upped nature.

- Melissa Kong

If anyone knows how to tell a story, it’s Jaquet Droz. Famous for enchanting automatons that come to life at the push of a button, the Swiss marque imbues its dials with stunning creations that weave tales of romance and poetry.

It’s a tradition that requires an extreme level of precision and artistry from watchmakers and craftsmen, who meticulously work on intricate mechanisms and sculpt art to create timepieces that astound with their beauty and interactivity.

The atelier consistently does it so well that founder Pierre Jaquet Droz would no doubt be proud. Renowned in the 18th century for his work in automatons, Jaquet Droz, together with his son Henri-Louis, were masters at their craft. In fact, Henri-Louis’ android creations The Writer, The Musician and The Draughtsman, are still functional and drawing crowds at Switzerland’s Museum of Art and History.