Automatons, or autonomous mechanical objects have a storied history that can be traced all the way back to ancient times. They were mostly modeled after animals, plants or other forms of natural phenomena, amusing and delighting audiences through their seemingly spontaneous movements. Many modern-day automatons follow in this tradition but not Jacob & Co. The brand has established its own tradition of creating high watchmaking timepieces with a contemporary twist and their automaton inspired by the oil industry, called the Oil Pump, fits that bill perfectly.
Wei speaks to Valérien Jaquet, founder and CEO of Concepto, on the incredible challenges that had to be overcome in order to bring Jacob & Co.’s founder Jacob Arabo’s creative vision for the Oil Pump to life.
