Comtoise | Guide

Comtoise clock

Comtoise clock

Repetition

Video

History

The Comtoise clock comes mainly from the French area known as Franche-Comté. The first production of these clocks begins around 1680 and does not end until 1939. To this day it is the most widely produced large clock in the world. In 1887 alone, 100,000 were produced.
Over the years the watch has changed a lot. The first only had a hand and a pear pendulum and iron bells. The dials and hands were made of brass, and the half-hour and hour strike on a bell. The housing and side doors were made of black sheet metal. Disc pendulums and foldable pendulum rods were used for the first time from around 1715.
From around 1730 the dials were provided with 12 enamel cartouches and Roman numerals. From around 1760 there were the first two-hand clocks and 24 or 25 enamel cartridges (hour, minute and middle cartridge). There were also decorations with flower baskets, angels, flowers, roosters, birds, two bells and a repeater mechanism. Later with date display, three to five bells, sun head, stars and Bourbon lilies. The housings became more and more complex. From 1850 you can find lyre, rust and splendid pendulums.

In the middle of the room you will find a clockwork on which you can observe how it works.

One hand watch

The first clocks had single-hand movements, attachments made of sawn brass sheet, rear pendulum with lead pear, verge escapement and bronze bells. The half-hour strike came from the walkway and the rope drums were made of wood.

From 1720 clocks with two hands were available. The first dials with cartridges also appeared. In the following years, dials were built in faience-enamel-copper sheet or iron sheet. The attachments are made of cast brass with a cock, sun or eagle. From 1815, the dial borders were embossed in two parts, from 1840 in one part.

Splendor pendulum

We find front pendulums from approx. 1790, from 1815 disc folding pendulums and from 1850 lyre and rust pendulums as well as from 1860 splendid pendulums.

The anchor passage was used as early as 1680 and the scissor passage from 1780.

There have been big differences in weights since the beginning, as they were cast on site by blacksmiths or made by stonemasons.

Grandfather clock

This Comtoise clock has a case made of fir wood with a violin shape in the middle and painted with floral motifs. The white dial has an embossed border. The magnificent pendulum with grate (for temperature compensation) can be seen through an opening in the wooden housing.
Production: 19th century

As an additional complication, the watch has a date display.