Sainte-Croix, showcase of an ancestral mechanical Art

Sainte-Croix is ​​often referred to as a “Silicon Valley of automatons”. The comparison is audacious, because facing the world capital of cutting-edge digital technologies, this village perched in the Vaudois Jura is more of a showcase of ancestral beauty, a convent hiding mechanical marvels.

“This craft goes back several centuries,” explains Denis Flageollet, master watchmaker and founder of the De Béthune brand, who works in Sainte-Croix. “There was enough ore and wood for smelting here, and the farmers had time to work in winter. The watchmakers of Geneva entrusted them with the manufacture of rare and magical pieces, such as automata and music boxes.”

This work representing a walker recreates human movement thanks to its cogs.

Carole Alkabes

The Age of Enlightenment glorified the creators of automatons. Voltaire described Jacques de Vaucanson as “the rival of Prometheus”. In the 19th century, automation operators were seen sometimes as sorcerers, sometimes as masters of the fairground arts. They inspired writers, as with the mechanical bird in The Nightingale of the Emperor of Chinathe tale of Hans Christian Andersen, or the Olympia doll in The Sandmanthe novel by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann.

The history of automatons combines mysticism, science and true artisanal know-how. Some fabulous examples are still preserved in large collections. The Neuchâtel Museum of Art and HistoryExternal link is home to three masterpieces from the Swiss Jaquet-Droz family of watchmakers and automatons: Le Dessinateur, La Musicienne and L’Écrivain, which continue to amaze thanks to the strength of the barrels and gears non-stop since the 18th century.

A rebirth

“Young people, when they come to us, are often surprised; they thought that the world of automatons belonged to a distant past,” smiles François Junod, famous automaton maker and sculptor. Originally from Sainte-Croix, he now runs a world-renowned workshop in his native village. He recounts, not without bitterness, that there was a time when his profession was doomed to disappear. But he is proud to note that “we are witnessing today a renaissance of our art. People finally know how to appreciate skill, emotion and magic.”

Out of modesty, he doesn’t mention that this resurgence is largely due to his talent. In 2010, for example, he built on American order an automaton representing Alexander Pushkin, the famous Russian poet of the 19th century, an android capable of writing, drawing and expressing emotions through mimicry.

With his eight collaborators, François Junod continues to produce androids, and his order book is full. Formerly intended for royal courts, these “divine machines” are today highly sought after by collectors and luxury brands.

For many years, he has collaborated with Van Cleef & Arpels. In 2017, François Junod created the Fée Ondine automaton for the Parisian house, with a fairy that moves, a lily that opens and a butterfly that flaps its wings. In 2022, the Fontaine aux Oiseaux automaton won the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix. The same year, François Junod himself received a special jury prize. Today, Van Cleef & Arpels is opening a workshop in Sainte-Croix to further expand its collection of Extraordinary Objects.

The “Fontaine aux Oiseaux” automaton from the “Objets Extraordinaires” collection by Van Cleef & Arpels received the prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2022, while François Junod was honored with a special prize of the GPHG jury.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Not just mechanics

“We really know how to make extraordinary objects. It’s not just mechanics, it’s magic, performance, it’s always an enigma,” says François Junod. When asked if he thinks his automatons are alive, he replies: “Yes, of course. They live and tell their stories.” Clients come with a script, but directing isn’t about finding good actors, it’s about building them.

Sainte-Croix does everything possible to preserve its reputation as an automaton village. “The Mec-Art AssociationExternal linkdedicated to artistic mechanics, was created to safeguard artisans and their know-how,” explains Pierre Fellay, its director.

The town acquired its fame thanks to the production of music boxes, of which the Reuge company is the last witness. In the 20th century, local factories diversified, producing Bolex cameras, Kandahar ski bindings, gramophones and Hermes typewriters. But they have been hit hard by globalization. Sainte-Croix is ​​no longer a center of European mechanical production, but a refuge for initiates, watchmakers and artists who have chosen the rare profession of automaton.

“There is no formal training; we learn it the old-fashioned way, from a master.” Pierre Fellay specifies that Mec-Art, with the support of regional authorities, offers four-week summer workshops for six to eight students with varied backgrounds, “from those who have never seen a watchmaker’s workbench to those who have already had experience.” There is also a course for professionals, over twelve weeks throughout the year, one week per month.

Text reread and adapted by Olivier Pauchard/sj