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THE WORLD OF HENRI MAILLARDET
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We chase the Extraordinary. Our purpose is to find, nurture and promote innovation with meaning.
HENRI MAILLARDET is an exclusivist watches & jewellery brand, a unique combination between the classical value of gems, technology and the flamboyant self expression of an artistic ego. Henri Maillardet brand offers not mere objects, but eternal pieces of art that transcend time through inherited value and unicity of expression.
Under its slogan “Return to Exclusivity”, the very essence of the Henri Maillardet creations can be defined through their inspiration from art.
Henri Maillardet (1745-1830, born Jean Henri Nicholas Maillardet, in a village close to Neuchatel) was a Swiss vanguard mechanician and artist of the 18th century who worked in London producing clocks and other mechanisms. He created several singing birds, automated animals (the caterpillar, the frog) or the automated writer – The Juvenile Artist. Around 1800 Henri Maillardet built the extraordinary Automaton which has the largest “memory” of any such machine ever constructed—four drawings and three poems (two in French and one in English).
Automata, such as Maillardet’s Automaton, demonstrates mankind’s efforts to imitate life by mechanical means—and are fascinating examples of the intersection of art and science, beauty and material, invisible and touchable magnificence.
We combine the expertise in exclusive jewellery and watches with the passion for art and bring you a new “Art meets Luxury” concept. We promote exquisite jewellery, innovative time pieces and contemporary artists in a beautiful environment, while contributing to the artistic and intellectual lifestyle.
Just a few snapshots of what we do.
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Render yourself the luxury of being unforgettable. Your choices are the taste you show to the world. Make them memorable.
By all standards, Beauty also means innovation. We drive our inspiration from Henri Maillardet, who built the automaton. In the 18th century, his creation was light years ahead of its time. It was the first computer by all technical definitions, and it was majestic. It could perform automatic operations, writing and sketching drawings with no human input. It was a thing of Beauty that propelled his visionary work into the future. Until 1928, when the automaton was first presented at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, it was of unknown origin. However, once restored to order, the machine provided the name of its creator itself, penning the words ‘written by the automaton of Maillardet’ at the end of his sequence.
The visionary genius of Henri Maillardet has inspired us to be innovation-centric in our every effort, and to prioritize meaning above all else. In Beauty, meaning is achieved by abiding to archetypal values and constantly building upon them.
Each of the collections we bring to life, whether jewellery or artistry, is based upon the belief that aesthetics matter. They speak of our education, they take us back to exclusivity through their execution, through the new and powerful meanings they convey and through the visionary thinking behind their design.
Returning to Exclusivity means embracing innovation with meaning. To us, this is a perpetual value – bringing the archetypal values our society has evolved upon, while innovating to bring more Beauty and meaning into the world.
We are committed to identify and nurture innovative minds with something to say.
