"François Junod discusses his artistic endeavor of crafting enchanting mechanical marvels in collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels, as he shares the narrative behind each creation"
In the heart of Switzerland's Jura mountains, a village named Sainte-Croix, Francois Junod, a master automaton-maker, crafts intricate mechanical jewels that blend the precision of engineering with the beauty of artistic storytelling. Born in 1959, Junod's formal training in micro-mechanics and sculpture has equipped him to develop delicate moving sculptures integrated into precious materials such as gold, lacquer, and diamonds.
Junod's collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels, a renowned jewellery house, since 2017, has been instrumental in reviving and modernizing a nearly lost art. The partnership has produced masterpieces like the 2017 Fée Ondine and the 2025 Naissance de l’Amour, which showcase the evolution of automaton-making within luxury jewelry. Each automaton embodies movement that enhances the narrative element, turning jewelry into animated art.
The latest automaton from Van Cleef & Arpels, Naissance de l’Amour, unveiled at this year's Watches & Wonders, is a testament to this fusion. Carved from white, rose, and yellow gold, and decorated with coloured lacquer and diamonds, the automaton features the figure of Cupid rising from a feathered basket. It plays the sound of a carillon, turning gently on itself before disappearing.
For Junod, reviving an extraordinary art gives real meaning to his quest for perfection. He often starts with several ideas, which he combines like a chef preparing a new recipe. Each piece created for Van Cleef & Arpels begins with an artistic vision and a story to tell. The technical concept for each automaton includes one or more magic effects, adding a touch of wonder to the pieces.
The partnership between Junod and Van Cleef & Arpels fulfilled a long-held ambition for Junod. It symbolizes an important evolution wherein historically mechanical art forms like automatons are revitalized in contemporary haute joaillerie, elevating craftsmanship beyond static beauty to kinetic wonder.
Automatons, once created by renowned clockmakers with support from painting, sculpture, or jewellery, disappeared with the advent of electricity. However, Junod's expertise transforms Van Cleef & Arpels creations into miniature mechanical masterpieces, reviving a tradition from the late 18th century that had largely disappeared.
Van Cleef & Arpels has a long history of creating mechanical objects, including kinetic sculptures. The latest automatons from the house not only enhance the aesthetic and emotional appeal of the pieces but also preserve a centuries-old tradition that blends technical innovation with artistic refinement within luxury jewelry craftsmanship.
Junod is delighted that automaton-making is re-emerging after more than 40 years of practicing this craft. He likes the idea of restoring the nobility of this forgotten art, turning jewelry into moving works of art that tell a story. The collaboration between Junod and Van Cleef & Arpels is a testament to the enduring allure of mechanical art in the modern world.
- In the partnership between Junod and Van Cleef & Arpels, automaton-making is not confined to the realm of home-and-garden curiosities, but rather elevated as a modern lifestyle statement within contemporary haute joaillerie.
- Junod's latest creation for Van Cleef & Arpels, the Naissance de l’Amour automaton, doesn't just sit still as a home-and-garden decoration, but comes alive with movement, music, and storytelling, blurring the lines between jewelry and lifestyle art.
