1830 French Astronomical Pendulum Clock

Alex83 presents an extraordinary 1830 French astronomical pendulum clock, a true marvel of horological history. This article offers a detailed exploration of its ten complications, intricate dials, and unique astronomical machinery, providing a glimpse into a bygone era where science and watchmaking converged. Readers will be captivated by the clock's historical significance and its complex mechanics.

With approx 10 complications, this is probably the coolest and most complicated clock we have in the house; it sits in the living room giving to it a special aura and making the spectator nostalgic of another era, a time when science, astronomy and watchmaking were joining their path together in order to give birth to early ultra-technical time tools. I can imagine this as some kind of “smart watch” back then

This is a French astronomical pendulum clock dating from 1830 whose 14-day power reserve movement sits visible on top of a muscled Hercules; it presents 3 dials in the front: a 24hours silvered-bronze display on the left, a central enamel dial for the 12hours display, and a golden-bronze time equation to the left.

Above the Herculean silhouette rests an engraved bronze disc which makes one full ration per year in order to show the day, the week and the month of the year as well as its zodiac sign.

It also supports an indication of the 4 cardinal directions with their initials (Nord, Est, Sud, Ouest in French) in blued metal, and a compass to help setting the disc in the right direction.

The astronomical machinery stands in the middle of the rotating disc and supports 3 spheres representing the sun -in the center-, the earth and the moon.

Here the details and complexity are super cool as you can see.

The earth –whose axis is inclined as it should be- makes one rotation per day. The moon gravitates around the earth, simultaneously spinning around its axis. It takes a bit more than 27 days to circle the earth, which is the same time it needs to complete 1 full rotation around its axis, hence always hiding its “dark side” to the earth. The clock was stopped at the time of taking the photography so the position of the moon was not fully correct. The cherry on the top would have been if earth would show the continents, but it doesn’t.

The signatures on Hercules’ stand are pretty cool too, it says:

In the front : ”FECIT QUENTIN MOINET 1830 - MODERATOR N.DLIE 1846”

On the Right: “DECEDE A  LHOSPITAL DU HAVRE LE 29 NOVEMBRE 1831 - IL A FAIT ET LAISSE TROIS PENDULES ASTRONOMIQUES QUI ON ETE VENDUES ET ACHETEES PAR DES AMATEURS APRES SON DECES.”

Which in French means “Made by Quentin Moinet 1830, moderator N.DLIE 1846” and “Dies at the Havre hospital on November 29^th 1831, he built and left (us) 3 astronomical pendulums which were bought by enthusiast after his death”.

Pretty cool hey? for me this is as much as a antique tick-tack can get!

Alex