Happenings Dr. Sandrine Girardier To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York

Pierre Jaquet-Droz was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1721. Jaquet-Droz founded a watchmaking workshop and grew it through a combination of technical, artistic, and commercial skills, enabling it to reach international markets. His son Henri-Louis further developed the family business and diversified production. At this time, a significant portion of the manufacture's work found its way to Chinese dignitaries.

At the May 2021 meeting of the Horological Society of New York, Dr. Sandrine Girardier will discuss the main phases of the careers of Pierre and Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz during the second half of the 18th century. Dr. Girardier's lecture will be enhanced by live demonstrations of special collection pieces currently at the Jaquet Droz Maison with Watchmaker-Rhabilleur Grégoire Boillat.

Sandrine Girardier was born in 1983 in Lugano, Switzerland. After completing her university studies in Neuchâtel, she began preparing a thesis in history dedicated to the watchmakers Jaquet-Droz and Leschot and obtained her doctorate in 2018. As a museum curator, she has been devoting herself for more than 10 years to the management of collections and the creation of exhibitions. In her work as a freelance historian, she also specializes in various heritage collections, as well as undertaking cultural and educational activities, all while continuing research and publication.

Grégoire Boillat was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. After completing a Watchmaker-Rhabilleur degree in Le Locle, he started his career by working on the production lines of a famous chronometer brand and mastering many watch manufacturing processes. He then specialized in customer service and vintage watch restoration. Grégoire is also a part-time teacher in the Le Locle watchmaking school and has been working for Jaquet Droz for 10 years. His passion for the brand and antique pieces allowed him to be the curator of the brand’s museum collection, and he is now in charge of the demonstrations, new acquisitions, and customer support for vintage and antique pieces.

The event is on Monday, May 3, 2021, from 1:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S. and Canada) via Zoom Webinar. April's lecture will begin at 1 PM ET (GMT -4) to accommodate local time in Switzerland (GMT +2).

HSNY lectures will be streamed live via Zoom for the foreseeable future, with no in-person gatherings. Webinar registration is required. All HSNY lectures are free and open to the public, and all are recorded. Recorded lectures are made available to HSNY members immediately, and the general public with a two-month delay.

HODINKEE is a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York.