Jacot, Werner and Alex | Geigenbauschule

The Jacots were adept at marketing themselves in the difficult rural environment. As early as 1920, they had produced a silent film, which was shown as a promotional film in the cinemas of La Chaux de Fonds: ‘le violon cassée’ (the broken violin)

The brothers Werner Jacot (1899-1983) and Alex Jacot (1906-1979) were originally from La Chaux-de-Fonds. After Werner gave up farming, he completed an apprenticeship as a wood sculptor and began making violins as a self-taught craftsman.

His younger brother Alex apprenticed with him and later became his partner. In 1927, a violin made by the brothers won the silver medal at the International Violin Making Exhibition in Geneva.

Economic problems caused the two craftsmen to settle in Les Bayards in the Swiss Jura region in 1944, where they remained until 1977. They spent the last years of their lives in La Chaux-de-Fonds.