automaton Archives - Page 2 of 2

Memento Ridere: Bell & Ross BR 01 Laughing Skull is venturing into the field of automata

November 12, 2018 by Editorial Team

The Bell & Ross Skull watch family has become an iconic collection and is now approaching its tenth anniversary. The skull symbol has been used for centuries, particularly by pirates. They consider it a talisman that brings them courage and frightens off their enemies. It is also used by the military, as a constant … Read more

The Marvellous Mechanical Museum review – marvels ex machina

July 11, 2018 by Editorial Team

Compton Verney, Warwickshire
Four centuries of automata whir into wondrous life in a show that’s as much performance as it is exhibition

Kelys & Chirp – a lovely tortoise automaton with a a tiny singing bird on its back

December 25, 2017December 22, 2017 by Editorial Team

MB&F presents “Kelys & Chirp”: a co-creation by Reuge and Nicolas Court. Luxury music boxes manufacturer Reuge and Nicolas Court have teamed up with MB&F, the world’s first ever horological concept laboratory, to create Kelys & Chirp – a stunning creation made of two unlikely companions. The result of this collaboration is a simphony of … Read more

Connoisseurs will succumb to the fluttering wings of the Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton

June 12, 2017 by Editorial Team

A masterpiece of watchmaking craftsmanship, this automaton by Jaquet Droz Atelier de Haute Horlogerie based in La
Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland) is truly a piece of art come to life, presenting an allegory of love and nature.

The Loving Butterfly Automaton watch tells a story with its memorable dial and ultra-creative mechanics giving the illusion to the casual observer that the butterfly and the chariot are operating under their own power. The owner can contemplate a cherub seated on an animated chariot drawn by a butterfly that flutters its wings over a black onyx dial with 18-karat red gold appliques, 18-karat gold appliques of cherub, chariot and butterfly body.

As part of the prestigious collection of Jaquet Droz automaton watches – the Bird Repeater, Charming Bird, Lady 8 Flower – the Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton is a rare feat of technical and aesthetic prowess. A delight to the eye and reserved for true connoisseurs, each version has a limited edition of only 28 pieces and is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity signed by the craftsmen of Jaquet Droz.

This exclusive automaton mechanism, for which two patents are also pending, took three years to develop. The power reserve, maintained with three barrels manually wound using the crown, allows the butterfly to delicately flutter its wings 300 times over a period of approximately two minutes. Positioned side-on, the realistic effect of the scene is even more captivating. The hour/minute movement is equipped with an oscillating mass in 22-carat gold, featuring the pattern of the chariot’s wheel, a symbol of life.

Everything is achieved in the tiniest details. Forty hand-engraved parts in white or red gold are assembled manually with incredible meticulousness, from the small Cupid’s arms and defiant face, to the infinitely fragile legs and antennae of the butterfly. The trees, only 0.2 millimeters thick, are individually driven like the hands of a watch, bringing watchmaking expertise to art: an innovative, patent-pending technique. The fine gold volumes contrast with the dial in onyx or Polynesian black mother-of-pearl, making the magic of this timeless scene still more hypnotic.

This June Jaquet Droz is presenting its iconic Grande Seconde Off-Centered model in four versions with a diameter of
39 mm.

The brand founded by Pierre Jaquet-Droz has created one of the most beautiful dials in European watchmaking. The two intersecting dials form a figure 8: a symbol of completion, balance and infinity. A lucky number for the brand known by its twin stars.

Van Cleef & Arpels presents its first Extraordinary Object – The Automate Fée Ondine

January 23, 2017January 17, 2017 by Editorial Team

Extraordinary Object: Van Cleef & Arpels Fée Ondine Automaton. At this year’s SIHH/ 2017 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie held these days in Geneva, Van Cleef & Arpels debuts the Fée Ondine Automaton made in collaboration with François Junod. Junod is an automatier, or automaton maker based in Ste-Croix, Switzerland. Bringing together several jewelry … Read more

Parmigiani Fleurier Hippologia. Is it an automaton or a table clock?

January 31, 2016 by Editorial Team

SIHH 2016: Hippologia, the creation of an exceptional clock.

Is it an automaton or a table clock? When the horses start to gallop, the object comes alive, magic occurs and that question is
forgotten. The concept “tempus fugit” (times flies) provides an endless source of fascination for Swiss luxury watchmakers from Parmigiani Fleurier, the creators of an exceptional clock called “Hippologia” presented at 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève (SIHH 2016). This clock features no less than 2200 components while its base houses two mechanisms side by side, one connected to the automaton, the other to the time display.

In the past, the manufacture has already created many table clocks decorated with sculptures reproducing a dynamic movement. This year, Parmigiani Fleurier wanted to dream bigger and go further with “Hippologia“. Because the animal kingdom has long been associated with the history of Parmigiani, through the Maurice-Yves Sandoz Collection, the automaton takes the form of the noble Arabian thoroughbred, the desert horse prized for its courage and endurance. The automaton maker created a solid gold statue of a mare running with her foal. Silent yet larger than life, they move inside an oval glass cabinet representing the desert and its dunes, created by glassware specialist Lalique.

The system which triggers the automaton almost constitutes a third mechanism in itself. It was a year in the making. The window set with white and champagne diamonds shows the hours and minutes over three hours, as well as the scale which can be used to adjust the operation of the automata to the desired time. The mare and her foal are designed as a clock movement showcasing historical watchmaking expertise. The head, tail and hooves are cast in silver and hand-polished by a jeweller. The horses’ powerful bodies feature a hand-engraved decoration while the finishes on the table clock mechanism are in the great classic tradition of Haute Horlogerie.

At this year’s SIHH, the Swiss brand of luxury watchmakers presented also the restoration of The Pistol Songbird.

“The pistol and its songbird travelled 200 years to reach us. It went through the torments of time, through the faulty interventions of inexperienced watchmakers. When it got to us it was a shadow of its former self. Broken. “Beyond repair”. With patience, skill and humility, Parmigiani restored the piece to its former glory,” commented Parmigiani Fleurier artisans.