JEANRICHARD 

JEANRICHARD 

DANIEL JEANRICHARD: BETWEEN LEGEND AND REALITY

We are in 1665. Between the small towns of la Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, in the green valley of La Sagne, there is a place called "Les Bressel".
This is where the legendary Daniel Jeanrichard was born. He is considered as the true master of the Jura watchmakers.
Legend has it that the fifteen years old Daniel, then a blacksmith's apprentice, was given the opportunity to see his very first watch. It was a broken timepiece brought back from England by a horse dealer. Daniel studied and mended it, then made a copy. One year later, he created his very own watch, the first ever manufactured in the region.
Due to the lack of documentation, it is difficult to know exactly what happened. However, it is a known fact that watchmakers not only owe him the manufacturing of the first watches in the region: he also created fundamental machinery and tools and set strict guidelines ruling apprenticeship in the profession, thus ensuring that the know-how was properly handed down to the next generations. Today we still pay homage to this great master of watch-making. There is a museum in La Sagne, a statue of Daniel Jeanrichard in Le Locle, and a street is named after him in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

MUSEUMS ARE A PLACE OF INITIATION

By creating its own museum, the brand JEANRICHARD reminds us of its origins and of the legend whose name it bears. The Museum allows visitors to discover the various specialties required for watch-making. JEANRICHARD Museum doesn't display watches, but reveals the hidden technical side of our profession. The tools and machinery from 3 centuries ago till today show the visitors the evolution in our ability of development, manufacturing, setting and much more. Nothing here is frozen in its time: all pieces are exposed thematically, no matter what their age.
Since the very beginning of watch-making, this art has always been performed at two levels: machine work which transforms raw materials into finer components and the putting together by hand, the setting and the finishing which bring the watch to life.
These are but a few values that the Museum wishes to exhibit.