History of Daniel JeanRichard
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.
To strengthen its independence and originality, JEANRICHARD gave itself the means to create its own manufactured movement: the JR1000. The developments in process prove JEANRICHARD’s willingness to anchor in this cultural area of which it is so proud.
This modern self winding mechanical movement was produced in 2004 after 4 years of study.
Despite its reduced volume (diameter 11.5 collections, width 3.77mm), it has an excellent performance be it in terms of precision, stability and winding power.
The watchcase was conceived to adapt to all sorts of modular elements, like the regulating type of display on the Bressel 1665 or the reserve indicator of working power on the Paramount. Other original and particular features are under study.
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