These three famous automata – the Writer, the Draughtsman and the Musician – were fashioned at La Chaux-de-Fonds between 1768 and 1774 by a trio of outstanding watchmakers: Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis, and Jean-Frédéric Leschot. After travelling far and wide in Europe, they were gifted to the City of Neuchâtel on 1 May 1909. Ever since then, they have been the Museum's flagship exhibit.

Public demonstrations

Performances by the three automata can be seen at public demonstrations: no advance reservations are needed for the sessions at 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 pm on the first Sunday of every month throughout the year, and the charge for the demonstration is included in the museum admission ticket.

Public demonstrations are also staged as part of the Museum Tuesdays programme, and during other events announced in the press or on the Museum's website.

Demonstrations by reservation

From Tuesday to Sunday, hour-long demonstrations are arranged on request and by reservation for groups of at least 5 and no more than 30 people. The host is a watchmaking specialist who explains how each automaton works.

You can reserve interpreters for German, English and Italian.

Permanent exhibition

The automata are on show to visitors throughout the year. An audiovisual presentation lasting about 20 minutes, in various languages, briefly recounts the story of the Jaquet-Droz watchmakers and their world-renowned automata.

Information and reservations

Please telephone the Museum's reception on 032 717 79 25, or send an email here.

Demonstration: CHF 120.00 for the first 10 participants, then CHF 10.00 for each extra participant.

Translation: additional charge of CHF 70.00.