Jean-Baptiste Delettrez

Jean-Baptiste Delettrez (Antoine) (1816–1887) was a celebrated French clockmaker in 19th-century Paris.

The clockmaking company ‘Brocot and Delettrez’ was established in 1851 by Delettrez and Achille Brocot (the son of the renowned clockmaker Louis-Gabriel Brocot).

They specialised in developing clocks based on innovations made by Achille’s father, but also advancements that Achille himself designed. These included a unique single-arm double-wheel escapement, a temperature-compensated pendulum and a design that incorporated two dials, one to show the time and the other showing a calendar or other types of information such as the times of sunrise and sunset or the phases of the moon. They were awarded a first class prize in 1857 at the World Exposition in Paris for a commercial clock of this type.

Brocot died in 1878 and Delettrez continued the firm on his own, producing an 8 day mantle clock based on the standard Brocot design he had helped to refine which struck the hours and half-hours. His timepieces were much in demand and were made to order for retailers, including many in England. The dials tended to carry the name of the retailer rather than Delettrez, with the mechanism was stamped with the ‘JBD’ cartouche.