FRÈRES ROCHAT
Frères Rochat is a singing-bird automata manufactory based in Switzerland. Their masterpieces, developed during the 19th century, are an ode to beauty and technique and represent such unique expertise as can only elicit pure admiration. These items are without a doubt amongst the most complex ever made worldwide, are emblems of specifically Swiss horology skills at the height of their sophistication at that time.
These priceless works of art, pride of the Rochat Brothers, join the ranks of the most extraordinary jewels in watchmaking craftsmanship, boasting a very limited circle of buyers and collectors. Ultimate luxury, they represent excellence and rareness of a kind which still today is only accessible through auctions, but seldom put forward for sale.
Frères Rochat has its origins in an eminent watchmaking family from Le Brassus. In the early 19th century, the Rochat brothers devised the most elaborate singing birds ever made and supplied other manufacturers, including the prestigious firm of Jaquet Droz & Leschot.
Their extravagant masterpieces, the singing-bird pistols and the mirror with a singing bird that charmed royal and imperial courts in 1820, represented the culmination of their art. Empress Josephine and Napoleon’s celebrated mistress, Maria Waleska, were among their renowned customers, as were the Sultan’s court in Constantinople and the aristocracy of imperial China.
The realistic movements, the intricate mechanism and the refined decorative work of the Frères Rochat singing birds are admired by knowledgeable collectors, more than 200 years after they were made, although few of those collectors could claim ever to have owned one. For the bicentenary of Frères Rochat in 2013, Stéphane Velan brought this valuable heritage back to life.
In 2013, Frères Rochat presented the Babylone and Intemporis lines at Baselworld.
In 2016, Reuge acquired Frères Rochat.
The Rochat Brothers
The Rochats had been watchmakers for generations in the village of Le Brassus in the heart of the Joux Valley when David Rochat was born in 1746. He turned out to be particularly talented and went on to specialise in the design and manufacture of singing bird automata. David and his three sons, François, Frédéric and Samuel, developed the most sophisticated singing birds of the early 19th century.
They also made for other producers, including the prestigious house of Jaquet Droz&Leschot. After the death of their father, the three brothers left the Joux Valley in 1813 for Geneva where they established the Frères Rochat (Rochat Brothers) workshops in Rue de Coutance.
Their maker’s hallmark soon came to represent the finest workmanship of Geneva’s master cabinotiers (master craftsmen). Their art reached its peak in such extravagant masterpieces as the singing-bird pistols or the mirror with a singing bird that enchanted royal and imperial courts in 1820.
The Empress Josephine and one of Napoleon’s celebrated mistresses, Maria Waleska, were among their distinguished clients, as well as the court of the Sultan in Constantinople or the highest ranks of imperial Chinese society. The Rochats were also known for their business acumen, becoming one of the first watchmakers to integrate manufacturing with distribution at an international level.
The singing birds that the Frères Rochat created 200 years ago are today recognised as the most sophisticated and extraordinary in existence. Still in working condition, they are owned by such prestigious institutions as the Patek Philippe Museum or the Sandoz Collection in Le Locle.
Frères Rochat Collections
Frères Rochat’s contemporary versions of the Singing Bird Automata bear the mark and savoir-faire of the originals. Mindful of honouring the true spirit of their predecessors, these are divided into two unique collections.
Babylone
The Babylone collection, the most contemporary of the two, brings creativity, tradition and modernity together, with particular attention given to design, originality and transparency.
This is an ode, a tribute to one of the most mythical cities of the world and its famous outer wall, with its eight doors, each one bearing a ceremonial name, guaranteeing divine protection to the city. Cradle to humanity and to the Babylonian Empire, Herodotus describes these walls, which were among the Seven Wonders of the World in his writings. The four pillars at the corners of this model represent the legendary Tower of Babel.
Intemporis
The model “Intemporis – Odyssée 2903” has been conceived and designed to emphasise the decorative arts and crafts realisations. Artistic creativity is limitless and a future owner can participate in personalising and customising their exceptional piece as they desire by working alongside best designers.
Should a client or a collector desire a personalised present or a timeless souvenir, frères Rochat is able to offer sumptuous decors, engraving, enamel or designs set with jewels or precious metals to create a unique piece that emphasises the extreme “Haute Horlogerie” complication and ultimate artistic beauty.
Unique pieces by Frères Rochat
The Frères Rochat singing bird is inspired by the wood warbler whose lively trill has been in the collective memory of those who grew up in Le Brassus since time immemorial. As soon as it has been wound up, it perches confidently on top of its nest and, twirling gracefully, moves its head, beak, tail and wings in perfect time with its song.
At the end of its recital, which can be performed four times without rewinding, the bird hides away, leaving the eye to marvel at the elaborate sophistication of its home of precious metals. Creative imaginations in all the great crafts have been applied to the decoration of its nest with enamelling, engraving, miniature paintings and settings of gemstones.
All these skills have been brought together here to customise each piece to the new owner’s specifications and to create the most valuable and exclusive horological artworks of the 21st century.
