Enjoy Watches

Watchmaker profile

François Junod

François Junod created mechanical automata, including the coffee-drinking figure on a flying carpet held by the MIH. 1

Included for mechanical automata within broader horology, not automatically classified as a wristwatch movement maker.

At a glance

The watchmaking story

A useful place to start with François Junod's work is Coffee-drinking figure on flying carpet, MIH IV-947 (Sainte-Croix, 2000). 1

Automaton-making practice, Sainte-Croix is the name recorded for François Junod's own watchmaking practice. 123

Recognition: Prix Gaïa, Craftsmanship-Creation, 2011 2

Scope: Broader horology

Why this person is included

Attributed museum object and institutional craft award

Background and working context

Affiliations and workshops: Automaton-making practice, Sainte-Croix

Geographic ties: Switzerland. Documented workplace / industry location

Brands, workshops, and other relationships

  1. Automaton / craft workshop · Inherited source-linked record; relationship classification reviewed, sources not reopened

    Automaton-making practice, Sainte-Croix — Own watchmaking practice. Automaton maker 123

    Legacy affiliation: Automaton-making practice, Sainte-Croix. Person-level contribution: Created mechanical automata, including the coffee-drinking figure on a flying carpet held by the MIH.

    Original affiliation wording: Automaton-making practice, Sainte-Croix. No present-day employment or ownership inferred.

Evidence and limitations

This dossier connects 6 field-specific evidence records with 3 public sources. Known links only; full career not established

Claim qualifications (6)
  • Full name: Direct museum holding record; no claim about all mechanisms or other commissions. Locator: MIH IV-947. 1
  • Noteworthy contribution: Direct museum holding record; no claim about all mechanisms or other commissions. Locator: MIH IV-947. 1
  • Representative work: Direct museum holding record; no claim about all mechanisms or other commissions. Locator: MIH IV-947. 1
  • Primary geography: Direct museum holding record; no claim about all mechanisms or other commissions. Locator: MIH IV-947. 1
  • Specific role: Direct museum holding record; no claim about all mechanisms or other commissions. Locator: MIH IV-947. 1
  • Recognition: Award record only. Locator: 2011 laureates. 2

Sources

  1. Watch collectionsMusée international d'horlogerie · Museum object catalogue · Not stated

    [S0291] Musée international d'horlogerie. "Watch collections." Not stated. https://www.mih.ch/en/watch-collections/ Accessed 2026-09-13. Locator: Object identifiers and attributions including IV-947; IV-625; IV-143

    Source context

    Relationship to subject: Holding institution identifies its objects

    How it was checked: Opened and text inspected

    Limitation: Selected highlights are not the full inventory; absence cannot refute a maker attribution.

  2. The laureates since 1993Musée international d'horlogerie · Award-organizer record · Not stated

    [S0290] Musée international d'horlogerie. "The laureates since 1993." Not stated. https://www.mih.ch/en/the-laureats/ Accessed 2026-09-13. Locator: Award year and category, individually matched

    Source context

    Relationship to subject: Award organizer's own results list

    How it was checked: Opened and text inspected

    Limitation: Supports named recognition only. Roger Smith (2016 History-research) is not automatically Roger W. Smith the watchmaker.

  3. https://www.mih.ch/en/watch-collections/ https://www.mih.ch/en/the-laureats/linked source

Corrections and stronger evidence

Names, dates, and workshop relationships can change as archives are digitised. If you have a primary source that clarifies this record, use the correction process.

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