News The "Château", as the local inhabitants like to call it, has been home to the JeanRichard Museum of watchmaking machinery and tools since the month of June.
Housed in a magnificent building dating back to 1908 at 129 rue du Progrès in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the JeanRichard Museum of watchmaking machinery and tools was inaugurated on 21 June last.
Born in 1665 in the hamlet of Les Bressel, half way between La Chaux-de-Fonds and le Locle, Daniel JeanRichard had the opportunity to hold a watch in his hands for the very first time when he was just fifteen. In those days objects like this were quite unknown in the Neuchâtel Mountains. The timepiece in question had been brought back to England by a horse dealer and had gone wrong on the return journey. Knowing the skills of the apprentice blacksmith in the village, the dealer entrusted his watch to him. Daniel studied this timepiece, made the repairs and decided to make another one like it. One year afterwards he signed his very first watch. Later he had an opportunity to work on other pieces, took orders and developed his workshop. He was the inventor of many machines and tools which he generously placed at the disposal of his colleagues. He also trained apprentices and taught watchmaking to his sons who in turn trained new recruits.
With this rich watchmaking heritage, the house of JeanRichard has brought together more than one hundred machines and tools covering these three last centuries and telling the story of the means of development, manufacture and setting. Located on the ground floor of the villa, the museum comprises three exhibition rooms, a library and a training centre. The exhibition rooms are laid out by subject area: without reference to their age, the objects on display explain the evolution of the different kinds of watchmaking activity. One space is reserved for design, machining, setting and decoration and another for the production of small components, while the last reproduces the workshop as it would have been in olden times. The machines are therefore displayed in their original setting.
Walking through these three rooms visitors discover for instance an engine-turning lathe dating from the early 18th century, an engraver’s tool with its different types of chisel (see photo), a machine to adjust balances and three watchmaking lathes with a view of a balance manufacturing workshop at La Sagne in the background. The library brings together more than 1000 works dealing with man and time, some of them dating back to the 18th century. Known as the "Sowind Academy", the training centre has been intentionally housed in the museum where the past and future meet up. It is of course open to watchmakers from the Sowind Group, but also and above all to agents of the brand. The tuition given here will enable them to ensure dependable maintenance and repair of JeanRichard watches.
The JeanRichard Museum is primarily intended for visitors calling at the company; however, it is also open to the public by prior appointment.
July 05, 2011
