PHILLIP HÖRZ, ULM, GERMANY,  c. 1920's

Single train, cast iron plate-and-spacer frame.  Graham deadbeat escapement with adjustable pallets. One second gridiron type compensated pendulum.  Epicyclic (sun and planet) maintaining power. Movement is equipped with a one minute period gravity differential train remontoire (see third picture).  Mechanism can operate as both a master or slave clock. 16"w x 16"h x 13"d.

The clock has two separate lead off arbors. One conventional, that turns once each hour and a second that turns once per minute. Therefor, this was meant to drive two separate dials. The movement is normally rewound electrically through it's motor; mediated by a complex electro-mechanical system, but can also be wound manually. The one minute remontoire, in addition to supplying a constant source of power to the escapement, also triggers a lever that energizes a solenoid to drive slaves. The system is reversible, where an electrical impulse can be sent to the solenoid to trigger the remontoire once per minute to let the mechanism act as a slave. It is not known to me why this would be desirable. This type of system uses a reversing DC current (polarized) which was common in Continental Europe to drive slaves. In contrast, England and the USA used a non-reversing current. For another example of a mechanism using a polarized system see the Collin-Wagner master clock in the skeleton section.

For more information on remontoire click here and a video of this style of remontoire here.