Paris showed no mercy to Jaquet Droz: 24 centimetres of snow fell in 24 hours and temperatures plummeted by 17°C overnight. La Chaux-de-Fonds may be accustomed to such wintry assaults but the City of Light is decidedly less so. On 22 November, it took the warmth of 250 guests at the Grand Palais to heat both hearts and the vast glass structure dating back to 1897, newly reopened after 18 months of renovation. But it was the friendship between one of Switzerland’s greatest watchmaking companies and an icon of French fashion – Jaquet Droz and Chantal Thomass – that truly set the night alight.
A new chapter
Their collaboration may seem unlikely, but since Alain Delamuraz took the helm of the venerable automatist-watchmaker, collectors have been caught up in a whirlwind of creativity. Jaquet Droz now crafts only unique pieces for discerning clients – no subject is too eccentric! This approach pays homage to Pierre Jaquet-Droz, a visionary who traded with distant empires, pioneered medical prosthetics, created enduringly relevant designs like the Grande Seconde and produced automata that still work flawlessly 285 years later. While this legacy is monumental, Alain Delamuraz sees it as a closed chapter. For him, the future must be written with the same adventurous spirit that defined the company’s past.
Icon reinvented
In Paris, Jacquet Droz took its cue from Chantal Thomass’s signature shade of glossy red. At 77, the designer remains as vibrant and full of life as ever. With twinkling eyes, she regaled the captivated audience with tales of her involvement in creating her own automaton, “La Ronde des Baisers” (The Round of Kisses). From on-site visits and selecting colour schemes to fine-tuning the dial architecture and following the project remotely via Jaquet Droz’s immersive Studio 8, Chantal Thomass navigated with characteristic grace and skill the immense creative arsenal Jaquet Droz makes available to all its clients. This collaboration proves that horological expertise isn’t a prerequisite for creating a bespoke Jaquet Droz timepiece.
A mineral marvel
No one could accuse Chantal Thomass of moderation. The “Ronde des Baisers” is a mesmerising automaton centred around a 3D mineral checkerboard. Black onyx and white opal cubes form a striking marquetry motif encircled by a spiral of snow-set diamonds. This radiant comet’s tail is punctuated by plump lips in vibrant red, set against a black backdrop. The animation is set in motion with a simple press of the pusher at 3 o’clock: the outer disc revolves once every 30 seconds for up to 4 minutes (8 turns) with the option to start or stop at will.
Cross-generational appeal
The Grand Palais audience mirrored Chantal Thomass’s broad appeal. Bloggers and influencers mingled with longstanding clients and international journalists. As the ’80s and ’90s experience a renaissance, Thomass is becoming a pop icon all over again, this time with generations 40 years her junior! Together, Jaquet Droz and Chantal Thomass embody a timeless, joyful elegance with a sense of fun and an unshakeable sense of their own identity. It’s not just a style, it’s a state of mind. These are not just brands, they’re icons.
