Simply Abu Dhabi XIII

1 2 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Jaquet Droz has perpetuated the spirit of innovation and aesthetic refinement for close to 300 years. F ounder Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born in 1721 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, France. He began to take a serious interest in clockmaking and precision mechanics under the tutelage of older relatives and from a young age, he devoted himself entirely to clockmaking. His meticulous nature and serious approach to his craft, as well as the reasoned application of mechanical principles, led him to add music and automata to his movements, which came rapidly to the attention of a wealthy and demanding clientele. Firmly established in his profession, he married and had two children, but tragically in 1755, Pierre lost first his wife, and then his daughter. Left with a 3-year old son, Henri-Louis, he never remarried, devoting himself entirely to clockmaking. In an encounter that would change the course of his life, he met George Keith, Lord Marischal, who advised him to present his creations abroad and introduced him to the Spanish court. After a successful year, he returned to La Chaux-de-Fonds to concentrate exclusively on making the watches, clocks and automata destined to become famous, assisted by his son Henri-Louis and a neighbour's son, Jean-Frédéric Leschot, whom he took in after the boy's mother died and thought of as his own. This was the beginning of a close and fruitful partnership. To London, China, Geneva, and back again In 1774, Jaquet-Droz set up a workshop in London, under the management of Henri- Louis and Jean-Frédéric Leschot. One of Leschot's responsibilities was to oversee the business relationship with the prominent trading company James Cox London, whose agents in Canton opened up the Far Eastern market for the Jaquet Droz Company. In the heart of 18th-century Beijing, the emperor himself collectedmasterpieces by Pierre Jaquet-Droz and was so engrossed that he set up his own office to import and trade these watches and automata from Europe. For some ten years, the company continued to expand. It sold clocks, automata, watches and singing birds all over the world. But the harsh climate of La Chaux-de- Fonds and insidious London fog was detrimental to Henri-Louis' health, so in 1784, he decided to move to Geneva. Leschot soon joined him to open the city's first clockmaking manufacture, simultaneously introducing the production of timekeepers with major complications. Thus the Jaquet-Droz tradition began: specialising in the manufacture and export of luxury watches featuring automata, musical mechanisms or other complications. Since the brand was acquired in 2000 by the Swatch Group, it has returned to La Chaux-de-Fonds, moving into its new Atelier de Haute Horlogerie in 2010. Like Jaquet-Droz timepieces, the new premises reflect consummate expertise and craftsmanship. The modern era – never-ending expertise In 2002, Jaquet Droz launched the Grande Seconde, inspired by a pocket watch created in the 18th century. A Jaquet Droz timeless classic, this timepiece features an elegant demonstration of the art of Grand Feu enameling on its dial. Nicolas G. Hayek, taking over the reins of Montres Jaquet Droz in 2009, introduced The Eclipse, a magnificent timepiece featuring eight stars – the company’s favourite number – and an engraved moon that revolves each day, gradually changing shape with each new dawn. Inspired by the 18th century, the design reflects the company’s heritage as well as its penchant for the decorative arts that dates back to the Enlightenment. Most recently, the Bird Repeater, a product of the imagination of the artisans at Jaquet Droz epitomising the company’s heritage, prowess and creativity, was unveiled in November 2012. This impressive masterpiece, featuring an authentic automaton, incorporates the full range of decorative crafts. An exhibition called “Automates et merveilles” (Automata and Marvels) was staged in 2012, in collaboration withMontres Jaquet Droz, to celebrate the shared genius of the Jaquet-Droz father and son team, and Leschot. An impressive number of pieces and quantity of information went on display three museums in the Neuchâtel region, honouring a legacy of innovation.