A Grand Day Out - Part 4

So after the Manufacture, we were off to the JeanRichard Museum.

And who better to get the grand tour from than the Conservateur des Musees - Willy Schweizer?

The museum itself has an upper and lower floor - the upper being administrative offices, and the lower level being divided into three uniquely defined areas.  We entered into what Willy informed me was a library that he is in the process of assembling.  Yes, it is a library, but it is also a very elegant lounge-type area, some beautiful mid-century furniture, airy, spacious and, well - perfect!

Photos and keepsakes of "friends and family"abound.  This is just the sort of place you'd want to visit to relax and talk about your passions.  My understanding is that the library is currently "in process" but Willy is off to a fantastic start.

From the library we moved to one of the main collection rooms which housed tools and pieces from the era of the original Daniel JeanRichard.  Legend has it that a wealthy man had bought a watch in London, and upon his return to Switzerland it was not working, and that the young JeanRichard without proper tools or training was able to repair it, as referenced in the painting above.

I have to say that the sequencing of the tour - first the modern manufacture, and then the museum was particularly well thought out.  From the present (and in many ways the future) to go back to a time where there were no standard measurements.  To that end, the making, and repair of a watch was a very personal thing.

And you could see the progression from a solitary pursuit, to the gradual "industrialization" with several sets of hands coming together to work on a common project.

There's more to come from the museum - stay tuned!