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Skeleton Clock Collection, Page One
The skeleton clocks shown exhibit some unusual feature; an interesting mechanical
design, rare or complex escapement, mechanism, remontoire or frame design. The following
adapted quote nicely sums up my fascination with skeleton clocks and clocks in general
where one can see the mechanical movement.
"A well made skeleton clock is
a joy to behold - an elegant confection of brass and steel, wood, marble and glass, its
mechanicals visible inside its crystal case, its clockwork heart ticking away happily as
it takes the pulse of the day."1
Click on the picture to go to a page for more
detail.
| Paul Pouvillon, Nogent-sur-Oise, France, 1939. |
Edward John Dent, London, England, c.
1850. |
Ferdinand Berthoud, Paris, France, c.1785. |
| Two train, pinwheel escapement. An
extraordinary weight driven astronomical clock of 15 day duration;
having over 40 complications. Considered to be the
most complicated domestic-sized clock made at the time. |
Single train, six-legged gravity escapement, 15-second Wagner
'swinging frame' style remontoire. Exhibition piece. |
Three train pinwheel escapement, gridiron
compensated pendulum, 30 second Robin remontoire, full perpetual
calendar, epicyclical equation of time, moon's age and phase, quarter
strike on solar time. |
| Arman Collin-Wagner, Paris, France, 1886. |
John Bennett, Cheapside, London, England, c.1870. |
Unknown, French, c. 1780 |
| Single train - jeweled, Graham deadbeat
escapement-jeweled movement and pallets, 30-second Wagner 'rocking frame' style remontoire. |
Three train Graham deadbeat with mercury compensated pendulum.
Whittington played on 8 bells. Exhibition piece. |
Miniature three train, pinwheel escapement,
30 second Robin remontoire, calendar, gridiron pendulum,
quarter-striking on three bells. |
| Unknown, England, c. 1870. |
John Smith & Sons, Clerkenwell,
London, England, c. 1850's |
John Smith & Sons, Clerkenwell,
London, England, c. 1850's |
| Three train, gravity escapement w/ jeweled pallets, high
tooth, pinion and train counts. (6 wheels going, 5 each in strike trains). Exhibition
piece. |
Three train, Vulliamy deadbeat escapement, quarter strike
Cambridge on nine bells, along with 4 tune music box. Presentation piece. |
Three train, Graham deadbeat escapement, quarter strike
Whittington on eight bells and gong. Presentation piece. |
| Jean Lepine, Paris, France, c. 1800 |
Bosset, Paris, France, c. 1815 |
Voucez, Paris, 1767 |
| Marketed in Germany by Heinrich Carl
Gropengiesser, Hameln, Germany, 14 day duration, two train hour strike,
provenance the Royal House of Hannover. |
Two train, pinwheel escapement on back
plate, gridiron pendulum w. temperature scale, hour & half hour count
wheel striking, calendar and subsidiary moon phase dial. |
Three train, half second, beating full
seconds on pinwheel escapement. Count wheel quarter strike. Three week
duration. Astronomical clock with equation of time, year calendar, day,
week, month, season, seasonal time of sun rise/set, moon rise/set and
age of moon. |
  
1. Winchester, Simon, Krakatoa, The Day the Earth Exploded, USA
2003 |
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