Press release

May 2012

Patek Philippe Museum thematic exhibition: Timepieces signed Rousseau

From 11 May to 13 October 2012, the Patek Philippe Museum is hosting theRousseau watchmaking dynasty

On the occasion of the three-hundredth anniversary celebrations of the birth of JeanJacques Rousseau organised by the City of Geneva and in the context of its “2012
Rousseau pour Tous” (Rousseau for All) programme, the Patek Philippe Museum
and the Comité Européen Jean-Jacques Rousseau (CEJJR) present an exceptionalexhibition. “Timepieces Signed Rousseau” is taking up residence at the PatekPhilippe Museum from 11 May to 13 October 2012.
The exhibition showcases horological masterpieces from the 17th century: some thirty
precious and rare timepieces from the collections of the Patek Philippe Museum,prominent museums and private collections. Constituting a vibrant tribute to theRousseau watchmaking dynasty, they bear witness to the extraordinary
manufacturing expertise of the Geneva Fabrique, an institution that from the 17thcentury onwards made the City of Calvin the cradle of fine watchmaking.
Accompanied by a selection of archive documents, the watches on display invite
visitors to discover a fascinating century where time won its spurs through the handof man.
Under the name of the “Fabrique” were organised all of Geneva’s jewellery andwatchmaking industries, in the form of independent workshops based on theapprenticeship system and grouped together in the Saint-Gervais neighbourhood.
Transmitting their know-how from generation to generation, the master watchmakers
and jewellers, along with the goldsmiths, enamellers, miniaturists, engravers, chasers
and other artisans of the corporation, were zealous in pursuing and developing theirmétiers. Jean Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's great-grandfather, belonged tothis aristocracy of craftsmen. His seven sons followed in his footsteps, some aswatchmakers, others as goldsmiths, engravers or lapidaries. Thus did the Rousseau
dynasty occupy the horologically related trades.
From his youngest age, Jean-Jacques used to observe his grandfather David in hiswatchmaker’s atelier. It was there that he would realise the value of the craftsman'swork. From this immersion into the precision of the act and of the mind, he developed
a structural approach to thought as attested in this excerpt from Emile: “I am like aman who sees an opened watch for the first time and, although he did not know theuse of the machine and had not seen the dial, should not cease to admire the result. I

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do not know, he would say, what all this is for, but I see that each piece is made forthe others, I admire the craftsman in the detail of his work, and I am very sure that allthese gears go thus in concert for a common end which I cannot perceive." (Book IV,OC p. 578)
Among the works shown here, more than twenty were signed by a member of theRousseau family. Through the variety of shapes, decorations and mechanisms isrevealed the astonishing freedom of creation of the 17th and 18th centuries. Frommemento mori to cross-shaped watches, coach watches to complicated timepieces,
all are imbued with exceptional aesthetic and technical creativity. Here a miniatureenamel painting embellishes a cover; over there, a finely chased decoration graces acase. Every detail crystallises the mastery deployed by the makers of time from pastcenturies. In the course of the exhibition, viewers can take a swath of history to heart
through the saga of the Rousseau dynasty and immerse themselves in the Age of
Enlightenment: the century that, beyond the realm of pure philosophy, consecrated
the artisan as the emblem of reasoning with one’s hands.
Rousseau the philosopher, Rousseau the writer, Rousseau the politician, Rousseau
the interdisciplinary sage… This man of greatness marked Western history andsociety for eternity. His convictions on liberty and intuitive conscience and on
freedom of expression and thought, in addition to his analytical and contemplative
sensibilities, have undeniably contributed to the aura of the city of Geneva.
The exhibition catalogue presents a collection of scientific and historical articles thatprovide a fresh perspective on the effervescent period of the 18th century.
Highlighting the value of the Rousseau legacy, the authors portray a Geneva
undergoing rapid expansion. A look at the Rousseau family tree reveals that Isaac
Rousseau, the father of Jean-Jacques, worked as “watchmaker to the Sultan” on thebanks of the Bosphorus. He studied the context of Calvin’s sumptuary laws of 1558
and the organisation of the famous Fabrique, and followed the aesthetic evolution ofwatches from their beginnings until the 18th century.
A window opened onto a creative past, “Timepieces Signed Rousseau” has been set
up as a place of memory. The exhibition’s inauguration is taking place on the 10th
May 2012, in the presence of Philippe Stern, honorary president of Patek Philippe;
Rémy Hildebrand, president of the Comité Européen Jean-Jacques Rousseau(CEJJR); and Sami Kanaan, president of the Cultural Affairs Department of the Cityof Geneva.
The Comité Européen Jean-Jacques Rousseau, founded in 1995 in Geneva
comprises a group of Rousseauistic authorities. Under the presidency of Rémy
Hildebrand, the organisation unveils the highlights of Rousseau's life in Switzerland
and in Europe. The CEJJR was the driving force behind the creation in 2002 of theEspace Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the house of his birth at 40, Grand-Rue inGeneva.

Page 3Since its opening in 2001, the Patek Philippe Museum has had on display one of themost prestigious horological collections in the world. Some 2,000 watches,automatons, precious objects and miniature portraits on enamel provide an overview
of more than five centuries of the Genevan, Swiss and European watchmaking
heritage.

Opening hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Closed Sunday–Monday and on legal holidays
Public guided tours every Saturday: from 2 p.m., every 30 minutes alternately in
French and English. Groups up to 30.
Private guided tours available in 8 languages by appointment. Call 022 807 09 14 oremail <visit@patekmuseum.com>.