Community Stories

Who doesn't like old clocks? - part 2

GarethS
Posts
223
Likes
879
Next up has to be the venerable Thomas Mudge (1715-94) Inventor of the lever escapement - a revolutionary advance to the miniaturisation of clockmaking so opening the route to pocket and wrist watches.

IMG_4818.jpeg


Here's a rather lovely travelling alarm clock (complete with lever escapment on the top) but remarkably the design is based on just two plates...

IMG_4820.jpeg


Here's an example of a pocket watch he made for the King of Spain

IMG_4822.jpeg


And the moon phase clock which is apparently accurate to 0.2s per lunation

IMG_4819.jpeg
Edited:
 
IMG_4830.jpeg IMG_4828.jpeg IMG_4831.jpeg
DSotW
Posts
184
Likes
238
I have an early 1930s German wall clock (no maker designation that I can find). It has an Eagle on the dial, it's not an Eagle clutching a you-know-what, but it's in the same overall style. Looks like a piece of furniture.

I also have a Mauthe Kaminuhr from the 1950s, runs way too fast and I haven't had the time to try to learn how to take it apart, oil it, and reassemble it.
 
Canuck
Posts
14,087
Likes
40,500
Thirty years ago, a friend and his wife were returning from visiting his birthplace in England. They were at Heathrow, with time to kill. Browsing in a book store, he spied an issue of the Antiquarian Horologist. In that particular issue was one of ten articles posted about building a Merlin’s Band Clock. This took his fancy, so when he got back home, he sought out all the previous issue on this topic, and set out to build a clock. It took about 5 years. When he needed a band saw, he built one. When he needed a fusee cutting engine, he made one. When he needed to learn silver plating and acid etching, he taught himself. Here you see the end result, built entirely by him except the mainspring, jewels, and wooden base. He has won international awards for his Merlin.

More about the Merlin band clock can be found on line.

IMG_1714.jpeg
 
GarethS
Posts
223
Likes
879
DSotW DSotW
I have an early 1930s German wall clock (no maker designation that I can find). It has an Eagle on the dial, it's not an Eagle clutching a you-know-what, but it's in the same overall style. Looks like a piece of furniture.

I also have a Mauthe Kaminuhr from the 1950s, runs way too fast and I haven't had the time to try to learn how to take it apart, oil it, and reassemble it.

There were some wonderful architectural pieces from the last century - including some striking 30's decco items that may bear a resemblance to your Kaminuhr. What really struck me was not the 300 years of bent wrought iron that moved hands on church steeples during the dark ages but the craftmanship and intricasy of the pieces in the 1600s - 200years before industrialised engineering...
 
GarethS
Posts
223
Likes
879
Canuck Canuck
Thirty years ago, a friend and his wife were returning from visiting his birthplace in England. They were at Heathrow, with time to kill. Browsing in a book store, he spied an issue of the Antiquarian Horologist. In that particular issue was one of ten articles posted about building a Merlin’s Band Clock. This took his fancy, so when he got back home, he sought out all the previous issue on this topic, and set out to build a clock. It took about 5 years. When he needed a band saw, he built one. When he needed a fusee cutting engine, he made one. When he needed to learn silver plating and acid etching, he taught himself. Here you see the end result, built entirely by him except the mainspring, jewels, and wooden base. He has won international awards for his Merlin.

More about the Merlin band clock can be found on line.

IMG_1714.jpeg
Now that's a pleasant way to spend 5 years... However, I have the feeling your friend has more hours in the day than I do.
 
Canuck
Posts
14,087
Likes
40,500
He has the same 24-hours each day that we all have. Since the Merlin, he has designed and built from scratch a tall case clock with chimes on nested bells, triple fusee, perpetual calendar (including leap year), equation of time, moon phase, and there may be other features. The most remarkable quality in my mind is the pivots are jewelled, and the clock runs for one year on a wind! It is run by 85 pounds of weights. The spectacular case was built by a cabinet maker who collects exotic woods. The dial is spectacular, all brass with silver plated chapter ring. He has built other clocks as well, many of which were built in far less time. The two clocks I have mentioned are NOT clocks you can rap off in a fortnight!
 
JimInOz
Posts
16,134
Likes
34,084
Hey Siri!
Make me a Congreve Ball Clock.

<stony silence>
 
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

GarethS

Who doesn't like old clocks?

GarethS Open Discussion
M'Bob
M'Bob
Posts
4
Views
774
Tom Dick

Who doesn't enjoy a nice Lobster dinner??? I know I do!

Tom Dick Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
Tom Dick
Tom Dick
Posts
10
Views
2K