An Artful Touch

Jaquet Droz continues to draw in the crowds with its inspired timepieces that maintain a profound link to its heritage.

- Melissa Lim

There is always something impossibly mysterious about a Jaquet Droz timepiece – it fascinates its audiences and so effortlessly embodies the charm, whimsy and curiosity that shaped its very foundation. Growing up with a deep-seeded passion stemming from having been born to a farmer and clockmaker, Pierre Jaquet Droz spent his childhood studying and observing the ins and outs of the mechanics of watchmaking in his family’s workshop in a small farm called Sur le Pont, in La Chaux-deFonds. At the age of just 17, armed with the wealth of knowledge he had gathered thus far, he opened his first workshop in 1738, where he swiftly went to work creating complicated clocks that often showcased an impressive musical element or automaton, soon catching the attention of some very affluent and demanding clientele. His grandfather clocks, in particular, highlighted his remarkable manual dexterity, attention to detail and passion for his work. Pierre’s entrepreneurial spirit and business savvy next took him to London, where he set up a second workshop in 1774 for his son Henry-Louis to take charge of. Jaquet Droz was one of the first to sense the commercial possibilities in London, which at the time, had already begun paving its way to China, where business opportunities were beginning to gain traction. His adoptive son Jean-Frédéric Leschot took the helm of this London chapter and turned its focus towards the Far East, with the help of a company that developed these business opportunities; Jaquet Droz would subsequently be represented in India, China and Japan for years to come. During this time, Pierre pored his attention into three fascinating automatons: The Writer, The Musician and The Draftsman, which astonished spectators in royal courts all over Europe, as well as China; at that time, these machines were likely seen as magical.