Jaquet Droz

Who are Jaquet Droz?

Jaquet Droz is a Swiss watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds, owned by the Swatch Group since 2000 (Swatch Group). It takes its name from Pierre Jaquet-Droz, an 18th-century watchmaker from the same town whose mechanical figures, the automata, still work today (Jaquet Droz; Wikipedia). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Jaquet Droz watch second-hand in the UK.

The modern company is not a continuous line from the 18th century. The original business faded after the deaths of Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son around 1790, and the name was revived several times before the Swatch Group bought it (Jaquet Droz; Grail Watch). Since 2022 Jaquet Droz has sold direct to clients rather than through shops, and it now concentrates on automata, high complications and one-off pieces (Monochrome Watches; Tatler Asia).

The history of Jaquet Droz

Jaquet Droz’s history has two parts: the 18th-century workshop of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son and Jean-Frédéric Leschot, and the brand revived in the 1990s and bought by the Swatch Group in 2000. The key dates are 1738, the automata (1774), the Swatch Group purchase (2000), the Grande Seconde (2002) and the change of direction in 2022.

Pierre Jaquet-Droz. Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1721 and from 1738 devoted himself to making clocks (Jaquet Droz). In 1758 he travelled to Spain with six clocks and presented them to King Ferdinand VI (Jaquet Droz). On his return he worked with his son, Henri-Louis, and Jean-Frédéric Leschot (Jaquet Droz).

The automata. The three built The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician, mechanical dolls that write, draw and play an instrument. Jaquet Droz says they were presented in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1774 and shown to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in 1775; Wikipedia gives their construction as 1768 to 1774. The Writer has about 6,000 parts and can be set to write different letters, and the three figures are kept, still working, at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Neuchâtel (Wikipedia).

London, Geneva and the end of the firm. A London workshop opened in 1774, and in 1784 Henri-Louis moved to Geneva, where he and Leschot opened a manufacture (Jaquet Droz). In 1790 unpaid bills from China and the failure of a London client put the business in the red, and Pierre died that year in Bienne; Henri-Louis died in 1791 (Jaquet Droz).

The name revived. Grail Watch traces several uses of the name in the 20th century: a Jaquet Droz SA watch and clock company that failed in 1963, a Swiss watchmakers’ cooperative that used Jaquet-Droz as a shared name until 1983, and an unrelated company, backed by Investcorp, that appeared at the Basel fair in 1993. In 1995 two Breguet executives, François Bodet and Yves Scherrer, acquired that brand, and in 1999 the private equity firm Cupola took a substantial stake (Grail Watch).

The Swatch Group. On 25 April 2000 the Swatch Group bought the shares of Montres Jaquet-Droz SA, then based in La Conversion, from Cupola Venture Partners and Swiss minority shareholders. Its notice said the brand sold mainly in Far Eastern markets and also made complicated automata (Swatch Group). Under Swatch the name lost its hyphen (Grail Watch). Manuel Emch became chief executive in 2001 (Monochrome Watches), the Grande Seconde followed in 2002, and Marc A. Hayek took charge in 2010, when a fine watchmaking workshop opened in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Jaquet Droz). The Bird Repeater came in 2012 and the Charming Bird in 2013 (Jaquet Droz).

The 2022 change. Alain Delamuraz, formerly of Blancpain, became chief executive in 2021 (Tatler Asia). In 2022 Jaquet Droz discontinued the classic Grande Seconde models in steel and gold and closed all its points of sale, offering retailers the choice of selling their stock by the end of the year or returning it; future sales would be direct to clients (Monochrome Watches). In 2026 Delamuraz said the brand makes about 50 pieces a year, delivered direct to clients or collected at the workshop (Tatler Asia).

What is Jaquet Droz known for?

Jaquet Droz is known for the 18th-century automata, for automaton wristwatches with moving birds and figures, for the off-centre Grande Seconde dial, and for hand-decorated dials.

Automata. The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician still work, and Wikipedia notes that some consider The Writer’s programmable mechanism an early forerunner of the computer. The modern company’s automaton watches, such as the Bird Repeater and the Charming Bird, follow that tradition; the Charming Bird won the Mechanical Exception prize at the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (Jaquet Droz).

The Grande Seconde. The Grande Seconde has an off-centre hour and minute dial above a large seconds counter, in a figure-of-eight layout. Monochrome Watches notes that eight is considered a lucky number in parts of Asia, where the watch sold well. SJX Watches says the design is based on a 19th-century pocket watch.

Movements. Jaquet Droz has used movements from within the Swatch Group, finished in its own workshop. Monochrome Watches described the Grande Seconde’s calibre 2663 in 2011 as a Frédéric Piguet movement that arrived as an ébauche and was finished in-house, and SJX Watches said in 2019 that the Grande Seconde Chronograph’s calibre 26M5R was based on the Frédéric Piguet 1185, by then made by Blancpain. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the distinction matters.

Decorative crafts. Jaquet Droz gave priority to its Ateliers d’Art, its decorative workshops, from 2011 (Jaquet Droz), and when it cut its range in 2022 it kept watches with métiers d’art dials (Monochrome Watches).

Which Jaquet Droz watch collections are there?

Jaquet Droz’s site lists automaton watches such as the Bird Repeater, Charming Bird, Loving Butterfly and Signing Machine, alongside tourbillons, minute repeaters and art pieces, some of which use the Grande Seconde and Petite Heure Minute designs (Jaquet Droz). The collections table on this page gives the year each began, where known, and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Grande Seconde. The classic steel and gold Grande Seconde models, including the Grande Seconde Moon, Chronograph, Dual Time and Skelet-One, were discontinued in 2022 (Monochrome Watches). Check the full reference and the date on the papers.
• Automata and repeaters. These have far more parts than a time-only watch. Ask for a demonstration of every function before you buy, and ask when it was last serviced.
• Unique pieces. Since 2022 Jaquet Droz has offered personalised and unique pieces made to a client’s request (Monochrome Watches; Tatler Asia). Ask for the certificate that identifies the individual piece.

Who owns Jaquet Droz?

Jaquet Droz is owned by the Swatch Group, which bought it on 25 April 2000 and integrated it as a separate profit centre (Swatch Group). Grail Watch notes that the group placed it in its prestige and luxury range alongside Breguet and Blancpain; the group also owns Omega.

In the UK, the group’s company is The Swatch Group (UK) Limited, incorporated on 26 October 1921 (Companies House).

Buying a Jaquet Droz watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the reference and whether the model was discontinued in 2022, match the serial number to the papers, ask who will service the watch now that the brand has no retailers, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch, whether they are originals, and whether the serial number on the case matches the card or receipt. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Servicing. Jaquet Droz no longer has retailers to take a watch in (Monochrome Watches). Its website lists after-sales service centres by region (Jaquet Droz). Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

3. Warranty. Jaquet Droz’s warranty terms are not published on the pages we checked. A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Jaquet Droz. See watch warranties explained.

4. Dials. Enamel, painted and stone dials are hard to repair if they are damaged. Ask for close photographs in daylight and check for chips, cracks or hairlines. Our guide to watch condition grades explains how sellers describe wear.

5. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Jaquet Droz?

The Swatch Group, since 25 April 2000 (Swatch Group).

Is Jaquet Droz the same company Pierre Jaquet-Droz founded?

Not directly. The original business declined after Pierre Jaquet-Droz died in 1790, and the name was revived several times in the 20th century before the Swatch Group bought it (Jaquet Droz; Grail Watch).

What are the Jaquet-Droz automata?

Three mechanical figures, The Writer, The Draughtsman and The Musician, presented in 1774 (Jaquet Droz). They are kept at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Neuchâtel (Wikipedia).

Where are Jaquet Droz watches made?

In La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (Swatch Group; Jaquet Droz).

Is the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde discontinued?

The classic steel and gold Grande Seconde models were discontinued in 2022 (Monochrome Watches). The design still appears on some of the brand’s art pieces (Jaquet Droz).

Can I buy a new Jaquet Droz in the UK?

Jaquet Droz has sold direct to clients, without retailers or boutiques, since 2022 (Monochrome Watches; Tatler Asia). Contact the brand directly.

What is the Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater?

A minute repeater made in homage to Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s interest in birds and automata (Senatus). Jaquet Droz dates its presentation to November 2012 (Jaquet Droz), and Senatus reported it in October 2012.

Why is the Jaquet Droz name written without a hyphen?

The founder’s name is Jaquet-Droz; the hyphen was dropped under the Swatch Group (Grail Watch).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Jaquet Droz.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.