Authentic Jaquet Droz automaton clock fetches record price at auction

Jaquet Droz clock

Jaquet Droz clock: An original automaton clock creation signed “Jaquet-Droz & Leschot” recently sold for more than $1 million at an auction, adding cachet to the brand name of this haute horlogerie marque

The Antiquorum auction house’s recent sale included an authentic creation engraved by the hand of master craftsman Pierre Jaquet-Droz in conjunction with his associate Jean-Frédéric Leschot – an exceedingly rare find.

“L’Oiseau Privé” (The Tamed Bird) went under the hammer on May 11, 2019. This neo-classical style clock in the form of a perfume bottle stands approximately eight inches high. Most likely one-of-a-kind, it represents the pinnacle of Jaquet-Droz creativity, circa 1795. The automaton clock sold for a record CHF1,025,000 ($1,014,813).

The piece is crafted entirely in gold and incorporates most of the techniques that determine the prestige of a Jaquet Droz creation to this day. A bird animated by a complex automaton movement is positioned to the rear of the clock, emerging on demand from a secret compartment to chirp a melody as it moves its beak and body. The clock’s face features the enamel dial that is traditional to Jaquet Droz. Finally, the piece showcases a wealth of decorative arts from engraving to painting, paillonné enameling, and pearl setting around the dial – techniques practiced to this day in the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art.

In all these respects, “L’Oiseau Privé” is an exceedingly rare testament to the original spirit of Pierre Jaquet-Droz. His exceptional creativity lives on with the Philosophy of the Unique perpetuated by the brand that bears his name.