There are a lot of great French artisans engraved in the history of clock-making, but out of hundreds and thousands of names written in books, you must not out-mention the contribution of the trailblazer who made the industry’s craft stand against time.
Born in town of Beaucourt in France, the clock-making company Japy Freres et Cie (also known as Japy Freres) is one of the most famous collectible antique French clocks today. Its timeless beauty and elegance radiates even the dullest corner of the house.
History started as early as 1777 when Frederick Japy began making clocks in his factory in the region of La Franche-Compte. Soon, the lone clock-maker established the clock-making company under his name in 1806. Together with his three sons they run the first ever rough watch movement factory in France. The family supplied raw movements or “ebauche” to some of the France’s notable craftsmen of his time. The company also supplied ebauches to Swiss watchmakers.
His movements are stamped together with different artisans’ signatures like Lucian Laine of Rue de Vaugirard, sculptures Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis Beurdeley and Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener, and bronzier George Servant which happened to be a one of his major client.
Since the emergence of the factory, the production in 1780 of almost 2,500 grew to as much as 13,000 in 1806. The production is pumped up by workers demanded to produce 100 handmade rough movements for clocks and watches. It includes cleaning, polishing, and assembling in a systematized production method.
With production cost greatly declining due to volume of outputs, clocks and watches became more available to general public. His clients are mostly middle class and working class people but his creations also served well known individuals and elite members of the society.
Japy Freres clocks are generally made of metal in form of brass and bronze. The hardwares, like domes, bases, and other embellishments like figures and ornamental attachments range from oak and mahogany wood accentuated with brass plates and gold to rare materials like turquoise shell, ormolu, and marble. Enamel are also common in his works especially for the dials.
Japy Freres never stuck in clock-making, the company ventured in making other products from casting irons, but the antique clocks are the most coveted ones amongst collectors. Some of his famous works, from thousands of equally attributed creations, is the movement on a Benjamin Franklin mantel clock, themed designs of centurion, knights, and people, and architectural clocks which were generally come in sets with candelabras.
Due to massive production of in 19th century, a good number of Japy Freres antique mantle clocks and French Garniture set (mantel clock and candelabra set) can be seen not only in museums but also in private houses. They are also openly available in auction and antique houses and auction sites.
Other products shipped out of Japy Freres factory are cooking utensils, stationary engines that run on gas, petrol or gasoline, oil, and alcohol which were collectively called as Japymotor, and other mechanical devices like a portable typewriter which is also called “Japy”.