Escapement

Happy New Year! Time for another installment of your local horologist's latest obsession... the  "butcher" Morbier clock . In our  last episode  your correspondent was extolling the history of these Comtoise clocks and the physical qualities of working on them (and how those joys extend to horological work in general). Now we will dive back into just one of the many elements of this Morbier that this horology detective has  never  seen in any other clock before.  On deck today: the dog bone What? This: Let's jump in. As most reasonably awake readers (thank you) will recall, classic elements of mechanical clocks include a wheel train that provides power to an escapement. The escapement is the heartbeat of a clock. A diagrammed example (from Charlene's Ingraham) is  here . The power from a clock's escapement is regulated by the swings of the pendulum AND is transmitted to the pendulum via a crutch.  This is one of most commonly misunderstood elem...

The pursuit of understanding antique clocks has kindled an interest in history that was all but eschewed by your correspondent when he was a youngster. Social Studies class was a drag to this yet to burgeon clock fan. Teachers never ignited any passion for the past in this otherwise curious mind.  Science ruled the day.  Biology. Chemistry. Physics. Math. Engineering.  Bring it. And in the years that followed your local horologist was schooled deeply in formal research methodologies and writing for many, many years.  Lest this scribbler of blog posts inadvertently suggest otherwise, this is not a tale of woe. Those early passions have served YLH incredibly well and certainly underpin no small part of his fascination with the mechanics of timepieces.  But truth be told some of the fervency of all things science has waned a bit. What has been pleasantly unexpected on this horological journey is the experience of excitement in researching, subsequent discovery of u...

Your local horologist has been lucky to enjoy a few trips to France over the years.  Nothing like a good bistro on a blustery day. When not in the shop this clock fool enjoys a good French film. Jacques Tati was  brilliant , Melville was a genius and Clouzot made one of the greatest films of all time. And the French made incredible clocks. YLH owns more than a couple and has had the chance to write about this one , and this one , and this one . Oh and this one ! And he hasn't even gotten to this one . There are others. French clockmaker's persistent dedication to and long tradition of quality, design and artistry , even in the face of tremendous economic challenge, surpasses the horological efforts of perhaps any other country.  French clocks were often made for the aristocracy and frequently designed with statuary and elements resplendent in gold. Here is an example of a classic French mantel clock in the Louvre: Photo courtesy of Pierre Philippe Thomire - Marie-Lan Ng...

It's been a while since your local horologist has penned a missive. Apologies. Finally the proverbial muse has sung loudly enough to inspire capturing here the fascination and excitement of this little piece of horology. Behold a part of a clock that has served both as inspiration and perspiration these last couple months. But what is this dingus? Here's a hint. The photo is beguiling. Displayed here laying on the workbench, in fact this critter is meant to actually function in a vertical orientation so imagine it rotated clockwise about 90 degrees. Here's another hint... Of late this clock  hoarder  fan has increasingly been fascinated by the sometimes unusual or dramatic features of certain styles of clocks. One such style is the Morbier (AKA Comtoise clock). And our mystery item is part of a Morbier clock.  What is a Morbier clock? The kind reader possibly has seen such a clock without knowing its name. The classic design of the Morbier is memorable -- typically consis...

In our last episode your local horologist was confounded by the "seconds" dial of the Vienna single-weight Regulator . Some of the answer to this conundrum lay in the history of the manufacture of these clocks.  The very earliest models of what became this classic style were created in about 1780 in Vienna. They were hand made by individual clockmakers and often of amazingly high quality. The style grew in popularity, over time evolving into several distinct variants matching the tastes of the times.  Of those of you familiar with Viennas the first image you might have when thinking of a one might be something more... ornate than our example.  Perhaps something like one these: Our Vienna is a bit more... modest in design. Again a photo as it was found on the wall when YLH first saw it. In that regard the observant reader / follower of this blog (thank you) might have noticed this tidbit from YLH's first posting about this clock, noted in its earlier owner's receipt ....