The Congreve Clock
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This rare Congreve-type clock is a tour-de-force in the history of timekeeping
Key Features
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- This exceptional Congreve-type clock is a true wonder of timekeeping ingenuity
- Time is kept by a ball on a zig-zag track that trips the escapement in this incredible design
- The Neoclassical brass structure rests inside a sturdy perspex case
- Signed "French Royal Exchange London" across the frieze
- Circa 1840
- Case: 17 5/8" wide x 17 1/2" deep x 24 5/8" high
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Item Details
- Width:
Case: 17 5/8 Inches - Height:
Case: 24 5/8 Inches - Depth:
Case: 17 1/2 Inches - Period:
19th Century - Origin:
England
The mechanism of this captivating Congreve rolling ball timepiece is considered to be one of the most fascinating ever invented. The widely recognized design was patented by Sir William Congreve in 1808, and reflects the aspiration of clockmakers to find an alternative to the pendulum as the escapement regulator. In this interpretation of Congreve's ingenious design, crafted by renowned clock makers French of the Royal Exchange, a steel ball takes 30 seconds to run down the inclined zig-zag track where it trips the escapement, reversing the angle of the tray and causing the clock hands to move forward correspondingly. Three silver plated dials shows the hours, minutes and seconds separately, while a sliding bar hidden in the ball arches indicates every other second. Neoclassical brass columns provide the structure to the timepiece as it rests on a black marble and red velvet platform. A brass-lined perspex dome protects this eight-day single wire fusée movement and ball bearing clock. A similar clock is on permanent display at the British Museum in London.
Congreve was not a clockmaker by trade, but today his name is inextricably linked to the Rolling Ball Clock of his design. The escapement which Congreve termed the "Extreme Detached Escapement" was patented in 1808, but documentation suggests that the clock was probably conceived between 1798 and 1802. The concept of using a rolling ball to release an escapement at set intervals was based on Galileo's law of inertia, and it was hoped that this method of measuring time would be more accurate that the use of a balance wheel or foliot. The first design was weight driven and was presented by Congreve to the Prince of Wales in 1808. The second design was spring driven and is now in the collection of Buckingham Palace.
Signed "French Royal Exchange London" across the frieze
Circa 1840
Case: 17 5/8" wide x 17 1/2" deep x 24 5/8" high
Reference:
Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks,1999, by Derek Roberts
Watch the Video
Congreve was not a clockmaker by trade, but today his name is inextricably linked to the Rolling Ball Clock of his design. The escapement which Congreve termed the "Extreme Detached Escapement" was patented in 1808, but documentation suggests that the clock was probably conceived between 1798 and 1802. The concept of using a rolling ball to release an escapement at set intervals was based on Galileo's law of inertia, and it was hoped that this method of measuring time would be more accurate that the use of a balance wheel or foliot. The first design was weight driven and was presented by Congreve to the Prince of Wales in 1808. The second design was spring driven and is now in the collection of Buckingham Palace.
Signed "French Royal Exchange London" across the frieze
Circa 1840
Case: 17 5/8" wide x 17 1/2" deep x 24 5/8" high
Reference:
Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks,1999, by Derek Roberts
Watch the Video
