# Topics > Related topics > Automatons, automata >  Jaquet-Droz automata

## Airicist

Authors:

Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis, and Jean-Frederic Leschot

Jaquet-Droz automata on Wikipedia

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## Airicist

Trailer of the DVD "The Jaquet-Droz androids" 

Uploaded on Jan 31, 2009




> On https://www.automates-boites-musique.com you will find a DVD named "The Jaquet-Droz androids". This documentary tells the story of Pierre Jaquet-Droz a swiss clockmaker who created around 1770-1772 a little mechanical family : a writer, a draftsman and a player of organ:
> 
> La Chaud-de-Fonds circa 1760...
> A clockmaker's workshop, lost in the Swiss countryside...
> Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the renowned Swiss master clockmaker...
> A book that travels time...memories that accumulate...
> A small mechanical family...
> "The Androids Jaquet-Droz", part of the official selection at the 25th International UNESCO Festival of Art and Educational Films....
> 
> ...

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## Airicist

3 Jaquet-Droz automata

Uploaded on Jul 24, 2011

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## Airicist

Jaquet Droz press conference "Automates et Merveilles", November 2011 

Uploaded on Dec 1, 2011

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## Airicist

Jaquet Droz corporate movie

Uploaded on Dec 5, 2011




> The story of Pierre Jaquet Droz and his sons is one of the most moving in the history of Horology. Born in 1721, Pierre Jaquet Droz, master of time in the Age of Enlightenment -- mechanical genius, avant-garde creator of jewellery watchmaking and composer of poetry and dreams -- is one of the most fascinating figures of the period.
> 
> After a few years' absence from the world of watchmaking, and an intermediate period marked by the presence of foreign shareholders, the brand was acquired in 2000 by the Swatch Group. It returned to its town of origin, La Chaux-de-Fonds.

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## Airicist

Automata by Jaquet-Droz 

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2012




> Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) was a Swiss-born watchmaker of the late eighteenth century. He lived in Paris, London, and Geneva, where he designed and built animated dolls, or automata, to help his firm sell watches and mechanical birds. Constructed by Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son were The Writer (made of 6000 pieces), The Musician (2500 pieces) and The Draughtsman (2000 pieces). His astonishing mechanisms fascinated the world's most important people: the kings and emperors of Europe, China, India and Japan. Some consider these devices to be the oldest examples of the computer. The Writer has an input device to set tabs that form a programmable memory, 40 cams that represents the read only program, and a quill pen for output.






Jaquet Droz The Writer Automaton From 1774 In Action: Inspired Hugo Movie 

Published on Jun 22, 2012




> One of three surviving automata from the 18th century built by Jaquet Droz, this is "The Writer" and is the most famous machine. The Writer was the inspiration for the movie Hugo, and still works today. The complex clockwork mechanism brings the "android" to life as it is able to write phrases. Other Jaquet Droz androids from the 18th century could draw and play a piano.

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## Airicist

The Musician from Jaquet-Droz 

Published on Sep 18, 2012




> An exhibition in the International Museum of Watches in Le-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The Musician is an automated mechanical android built in 1774 by Jaquet-Droz. She plays a real piano once activated.

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## Airicist

Automates et Merveilles, Video made by Watchonista

Published on Jul 16, 2012




> JAQUET DROZ CELEBRATES ITS FABULOUS HERITAGE ON JUNE 21ST, 2012
> 
> The idea of an exhibition germinated from the presence of the historic automata constructed by Pierre and Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz in the collections of the Musee d'art et d'histoire de Neuchatel and the latter's desire to gain more scientific knowledge about these creative geniuses and the world of clockwork automata.
> The Musee d'art et d'histoire de Neuchatel, the Musee international d'horlogerie de La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Musee d'horlogerie du Locle-Chateau des Monts came together to present an exhibition on three outstanding masters of 18th-century clockmaking: Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis and their colleague Jean-Frederic Leschot.
> 
> Originally from the Neuchatel Mountains, the Jaquet-Droz father and son team made a reputation for themselves as brilliant inventors and astute businessmen. They were famous in Europe and world-wide for producing luxury goods characterized by the purity and elegance of their design. Among these remarkable objects were pieces of jewelry with miniaturized mechanisms, musical clockwork automata, such as singing birds, and clocks with automata, including humanoid automata.
> 
> To highlight the Jaquet-Droz and Leschot genius, as well as their quest for answers -- something that connects them to today's world -- the three museums decided to share their expertise and collections in order to mount an exhibition enriched by many exceptional pieces on loan from private and public collections. Presented simultaneously at all three institutions and in three languages (French, German and English), this international artistic and technical event will take the visitor from the 18th to the 21st century.

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## Airicist

The Charming Bird, the singing bird automaton 

Published on Mar 26, 2015




> Both contemporary and poetic, The Charming Bird takes the theme of the songbird to form this ultimate tribute to the creativity and historic expertise of the master craftsmen at Jaquet Droz.

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## Airicist

Restoring Jaquet-Droz automata

Published on Feb 2, 2015

Article "These awesome robots still work after 240 years"
The 18th-century Jaquet-Droz automata are representative of some early attempts at humanoid robots. And they still work.

by Michelle Starr
March 3, 2016

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