The first watches in Carillon

We know for certainty that the first gusset watches appeared in England in the year 1685. What is less obvious, is to know who was the first watchmaker to build it.

Two renowned London masters, Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare , claim their paternity and turn to King Jacques II, to whom they present two < Strong> Gousset watches , so that he recognizes the author of the mechanism . The mystery of coincidence remains whole, although the king has chosen Quare, and throughout his life, they will be accused of plagiarism.
in France, they certainly should not appreciate this type of watch, since the first known exemplars coincident with the arrival of two needles and are dated 1700, the Gloria in Rouen, the Rosseau in Paris, the Pierre Le Cat in Paris too (Palace watchmaker from 1688 to 1700) The Diego Lido collection, and a few others ...

The first Watch for Swiss Carillon known was manufactured by the Geneva master Baptiste Doboule in 1645, although it is not a gusset watch strictly speaking but of a table clock , more than 12 cm in diameter, which currently belongs to the British Museum in London.

The rehearsal in minutes was introduced in 1750 by Thomas Mudge of Geneva, although it was Louis Breguet who deleted the hammering of springs on bell And replaced it by steel wires in the shape of circles which are housed in the entire interior perimeter of box , which allows you to obtain a lighter sound and take up less space , system which was maintained for a good part of the 20th century.

The illustration above is a carillon watch which indicates as well the days of the month with a double box < /Strong> silver, the outer or smooth bump and that of clock openwork with face, bird patterns, etc.
Signed Windmills London - which was a family business of father and active son from 1671 to 1737, enjoying the royal patronage and counting in its workshops 10 officers - its creations are currently divided to British Museum, at the Chaux-de-Fond Museum in Switzerland, the Science Museum in London, at the Metropolitan of Art in New York etc. He was the guardian of the clock from the London tower for 30 years.

On the illustration below you can admire a clock made by Pierre le Cat , in 1699, watch Palace from 1688 to 1705, during the reign of Mary II and Guillaume III. It is one of the oldest Clocks at Carillon known French.