It has been quite a horological few days for me, on my main blog I posted on the fabulous 'Bulbdial Clock' yesterday having come across in current UK issue of WIRED magazine. On a visit to my parents house today I was talking to them about how this love of 'time pieces began for me way back in 1975 ( when I was 18) when my father bought the kit version of the Sinclair Black digital watch, I can still recall the care with which he put it together. It actually worked for a while before it became somewhat erratic and eventually became consigned to a draw...... Mum even believes that it still in a draw and I firmly believe that on my next visit it may yet emerge. It is possible that this Sinclair experience led to my first computer purchase of a ZX81 ( 8192-byte ROM, and either one 1024-byte RAM chip, or two 1024x4 bit RAM chips.) which went to college with me in 1981 - not quite up to even a modern day non smart phone!
Back to the clocks - above and below is a clock which is still at my parents house - I have been doing some research this evening and believe that it may be an example of a Charles Féry or perhaps a Brillié clock from the early 20th Century. It was acquired by my grandfather Robert Stanley Harrington during his time with the Post Office following the Second World War with a view to restoring it..... never quite achieved.
The clock is driven by a very large cylindrical battery ( missing) this power source drives the pendulum which is made of wound copper wire. The movement of the pendulum powers a ratchet mechanism which can be seen through the centre of the clock face above and this drives the hands of the clock.
If anyone out there knows any more about this type of clock please do get in touch Dad and I would be very interested to find out some more about it and others like it.
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