Research as a Leisure Activity

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 understanding and this opportunity to write about these often obscurely (or at least poorly) documented objects. Yes the study of clockmaking has driven a much deeper appreciation of and some real pleasures in the search for understanding their history and the people that made them.

For example our butcher Morbier clock. 

For those new to this clock the first post about it is here and the second here.

Likely our example was built in the late 19th century during the peak production era of Morbier / Comtoise clocks. Nevertheless "production" was constituted almost entirely of farmers, metallurgists and artisans (no factories) and nearly all clocks were created somewhere in the Jura mountain range of France near the border of Switzerland. Called "horloges comtoise" by the French, the manufacturing epicenter for these clocks was the towns of Morbier and Morez but they were made in many other locations across the Franche-Comté region. 

Morbier was a dairy community of farmers and, as noted earlier, famous for their cheese. During the winter many farmers focused on other moneymaking pursuits including building different components of these Morbier clocks. Those pieces were transported into town to the "finisseurs" who did the final assembly of the clocks and provided them to retailers for sale.

Here is a very early 20th century photo of such a transportation:

From Comtoise Clocks by Maitzner and Moreau (1991)

Look at that guy! 

Now that is history come alive (and committed clockmaking)!

No secret that YLH is fascinated by clocks and their history but that's not the point of today's entry. Your correspondent is attempting to single out the pleasure in the hunt itself -- the desire and activity to learn more and to understand. And that pursuit brings history alive.

In 2024 Celine Nguyen wrote a perfectly titled article, "research as a leisure activity," that describes this point far better than could this essayist. 

For this clock fool, horology is not a job. It is strictly a passion. All the work done is absolutely voluntary. And in so this relieves its study from much of the burdens of formal "work."

Nguyen makes three, excellent summary points:

        Research as leisure activity is directed by passions and instincts

        Research as leisure activity is exuberantly undisciplined or antidisciplinary

        Research as leisure activity involves as much rigor as necessary

That pretty much sums it up.

This clockmaker certainly finds passion in his work but only after reading this article realized that the undisciplined quality was so much at play. It's that this work is not required of him. 

There is no pass/fail. Work hard or skip a week -- doesn't matter.

Moreover once a problem is solved or an understanding achieved there is no more rigor required. The work can fall back into a cadence that allows relaxation and often joy while continuing to tinker along until the dingus is running or at least as restored as desired.

So yes this clock hound enjoys the discovery and understanding of how these (and many other) clocks were made and who made them but there is a coda to this point that gives is more... gravity. 

The pleasures of horology and its history becomes alive not just because of the research, it's also the joy that this horologist experiences having one of these creatures in his hands.

The butcher movement mid-restoration. Red cords are traditional.

Yes this is literally holding history in one’s hands. The physicality of working on these objects and getting them to operate once again to their purpose… well YLH never imagined all his scientific and engineering experience would manifest into something so... solid.

Love it.

Follow your passions. Find exuberance.

Hopefully these efforts to write about this horological journey are entertaining or at least interesting. Regardless it remains a pleasure for this scrivener.

Happy Holidays from your local horologist!

Wishing you a joyous new year that allows you to research at your leisure!

P.S. Who doesn't want this for Christmas?