It was upon a time ...
   
Jean-Frédéric Leschot (1746-1824) exceptional watchmaker, genius mechanics. Adoptive son of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, who participated in the construction and making of ingenious Automatons which performed the most incredible things such as writing, drawing a picture, playing the piano, in other words precursors of our modern day computers. He also produced complicated musical clocks, as well as making artificial limbs (prosthesis of artificial limbs).

He also invented a wheel-cutting machine for watch movements and built a device to demonstrate the theory of watch movement gearing. In 1782, he became partners with H.-L Jaquet-Droz and in 1784 they established themselves and their company in Geneva. In 1787 they received the title of 'Honorable Citizen of Geneva'.

   

They produced clocks, luxurious watches, wristwatches, self-winding 'perpetual' watches, marvelous jewels, singing birds and artificial limbs.

The watch-making industry owes great recognition to Jean-Frederic Leschot in terms of technical, industrial, artistical, and commercial development.

Source: Muske d’Art et d’Histoire, Neucâtel (Suisse)

   
Georges-Auguste Leschot (1800-1884) son of Jean-François Leschot, pioneer in the watch industry by introducing the inter-changeability of watch components being part of watch movements. Having the distinctive qualities of a genius in the watch-making field, he applied those qualities to build watches of exceptional quality at the same time creating the machines to produce them !
   

His invention of draw in lever escape wheel contributed to the universal adoption in the watch industry worldwide. In 1845, with Vacheron & Constantin of Geneva, he received from Geneva’s Society of the Arts the official prize 'Auguste de la Rives'.

He also invented a 'diamond drill' for rock piercing and deep well drilling. This invention  was patented in 1862 and facilitated the piercing of a majority of tunnels in the world, such as the 'GOTHARD' in the Swiss Alps, as well as oil deep well drilling.

This method is still used today worldwide.

   
Source : Bulletin annuel de la Sociète Suisse de Chronométrie 1940.
 
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