Jaquet Droz’s Signing Machine Writes Through the Magic of 18th Century Automata

The Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz specializes in what it calls “the art of mechanical astonishment.” And to witness its new Signing Machine in action is to understand exactly how appropriate that catchphrase is. This customizable mechanical device—which is inspired by Industrial Age automatons–can sign signatures and write messages in any language. See it in action in this video.