Sunday 6 September 2009

Sunday.

 


This is the movement of the clock I have been restoring over the last few days. It is a fairly standard French comtoise clock. It was a bit of a wreck - hadn't gone for years. It is fitted with a double striking arrangement- strikes the hour on the hour, then repeats it about three minutes later. It is also fitted with a repeat cord so that during the night hours it can be made to repeat the nearest hour at will. It is very satisfying to take a 'dead' clock and restore it to full working order. When I've replaced the dial I'll try and put up another picture.
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3 comments:

Crowbard said...

Admirable elegance and economy of internal lay-out, handsome face and hands but the fussy rococo brass bezel-cum-spandrels-thingy (I'm sure there's a more appropriate technical term but it evades me) is quite repulsive to my way of thinking.

Speaking of technicalities - don't the Frogs put a 'p' in comptoise these days? - I know they have a 'P' in pissoire!

Unknown said...

They never have done. The name is nothing to do with counting, but comes from the Franche Comte area of France, as do the clocks. They are also sometimes known as Morbier Clocks, as many were made there. Some years ago (about thirty, I think) I had the same conversation with a Cambridge professor who had bought a comtoise from me, and said I had spelled it wrong. I made a small wager on the subject, and it cost him £5. I do think betting is unwise (and usually wrong).

Crowbard said...

Fair warning Governor, I defer to your expertise and depth of experience in watching heroes weeping over dead-cert bets lost to your worshipful Honour and shall stick to my own specialism of or about pissoires.

Only muttering on slightly about titular Comtes as with English Counts, Counties, Shires, Ridings and Marks having everything to do with counting from the Regal perspective of ordering and administering the Realm.
Kind regards from 'im wot don't bet no more - Never!