In what has to be one of the oddest Novelty announcements I’ve seen in a while, Jaquet Droz has released something their calling the Signing Machine, a mechanical pantograph that signs your name again and again, essentially allowing your fingers to rest comfortably in a bowl of human growth extract while you sign paperwork.
Quoth Jaquet Droz:
The Signing Machine has a 4-digit security code and can be manually wound with a mechanism activated by a lever positioned on the side of the gray and black case. This entirely mechanical, technological gem, with its contemporary, uncluttered design, is manufactured as a bespoke piece for its owner. Simply pressing twice with your finger releases a hinged arm and pen. By means of highly complex movements, driven by a set of cams that are handmade in order to produce a fluid, natural script, The Signing Machine duplicates its owner’s signature. This operation can be admired through the transparent window that reveals the internal workings. In an age dominated by digital technology, it is a testament to the unique and magical beauty of the exceptional mechanisms bearing the Jaquet Droz hallmark.
This is a fascinating piece. It’s essentially an automaton that could only exist in this day and age because, to get the fluid movement that you see above, you essentially have to simulate everything digitally before making the gearings. No pricing but if you have to ask the price, you’re probably not smuggling enough heroin through Berlin to afford it.
