Jaquet Droz
Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born July 28th 1721 in La Chau De Fonds Switzerland. He began watch making at a young age after attending the University of Basel. He was continuing his education when he visited family who introduced him to horology. By 1738 he was hooked and experimented until 1747 with master watchmaker Josué Robert and his two sons David and Louis-Benjamin. By 1785 Jaquet Droz was manufacturing complicated miniaturized mechanical movements with songbirds and was traveling between Geneva, La Chaux De Fonds, and London selling his works. Additionally he began selling singing snuff boxes which became one of his main markets especially in China. Yet after experiencing some financial difficulty due to bankruptcies abroad, Pierre Jaquet-Droz died in 1790 followed by his son Henry in 1791. The economic situation also worsened due to the Napoleonic wars and only production dwindled. In 1810 Henry Louis, Pierre's other son appears to have stopped trading under Jaquet-Droz.
The modern Jaquet Droz began in 1989 when Investcorp (a company that already owns Breguet, Chaumet and Ebel) bought the rights to the Jaquet Droz name. With the name secured a new line was created by the Breguet brand and the line sold well until many of the original employees left to create brands of their own. Swatch Group took over and in doing so revamped the brand which released in 2002 at the Basel Fair. This is when the new quality of Jaquet-Droz began to be recognized again for the work of history past.
The modern Jaquet Droz began in 1989 when Investcorp (a company that already owns Breguet, Chaumet and Ebel) bought the rights to the Jaquet Droz name. With the name secured a new line was created by the Breguet brand and the line sold well until many of the original employees left to create brands of their own. Swatch Group took over and in doing so revamped the brand which released in 2002 at the Basel Fair. This is when the new quality of Jaquet-Droz began to be recognized again for the work of history past.
