June, 1775. Henri Louis Jaquet-Droz, the son of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, is given an audience with Louis XVI, the King of France. There in his court, he presents his three automata. The King, however, has one demand: he wishes to examine the androids' different mechanisms once the presentation is complete. Robed in gray and gold and wearing a white peruke and black ribbon, the King appears overjoyed. He marvels at The Writer's three sets of cams and asks a myriad of questions. Once again, the magic of Jaquet Droz has cast its spell.
Through the art of movement, showcased through the choreography of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Jaquet Droz pays tribute to the virtuosity of their founder, tracing its origins to Versailles and that fateful meeting with Louis XVI.
Its clocks, musical watches, objets d'art and humanoid automata would go on to fascinate the royal courts of Europe just like the shows by the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. The extraordinary Sacre du printemps (1959), Symphonie pour un homme seul, l’Oiseau de feu,... to this day, these ballets grace the stages of the greatest capitals around the world. The exceptional artistry of Maurice Béjart and the avant-garde passion of Jaquet-Droz bring us the Art of Astonishment: "the amazement of the encounter with uniqueness and harmony."
To astonish and surprise – words that cut to the essence of Jaquet Droz. The vision of Marc A. Hayek, President of Jaquet Droz, revives not only its own illustrious past, but also a quest that has been ever-present since its creation: the quest for excellence at every moment, where the watchmaker's ability to surpass limitations is aligned with the best of the decorative arts.
The Time for a Dance: Jaquet Droz and the Béjart Ballet Lausanne invite you into the heart of two worlds which seem to have been destined to come together.
A warmed up stage, a drum kit, a few guitars and a harmonica: “It’s only rock’n’roll!” Today, Jaquet Droz unveils the first out of the 23 unique timepieces to retrace the world of the Rolling Stones through motion. Beside the arm of a record player that hovers over a platinum album replica (the power reserve), a scene depicts their signature instruments in miniature paintings and gold thread. The external disc rotates up to 8 consecutive times for 30 seconds and is adorned with the albums that the collector will choose for his unique timepiece. At 9 o'clock, the iconic tongue beats rhythmically, from left to right and from top to bottom. “And I like it!”
After three years of work, Jaquet Droz and John Howe have developed an Art Watch dedicated to emotion, wonder and fantasy. Draped in gold and rare stones, their dragon has a record 9 distinct animations. Inside a 43 mm case, the piece is entirely handmade and can be customized almost without limit by the client. Thanks to a Studio in the heart of the Jaquet Droz head quarter, clients will be offered an immersive phygital experience that will allow them to witness the live creation of their timepieces. There is no series to be announced, only unique pieces.
The “Effinger” clock dated from 1783 and signed Jaquet-Droz, has been sold at CHF 256,000.-, which is more than three times the starting bid of CHF 70,000.-, during the Koller auction on March the 31st 2022.