- Museum number
- 1981,0107.1
- Description
-
MOVEMENT OF A SPRING-DRIVEN, HALF-QUARTER STRIKING CLOCK WITH ALARM.
The going train, quarter and hour striking trains are all powered by a single large-diameter barrel situated at the bottom of the clock. The going-train has a remontoire consisting of a small mainspring housed in a barrel which drives the escapement. The alarm train was powered by separate barrel but is now missing.
Four main trains driven as follows: going-train by remontoire barrel, kept wound by the half-quarter striking train; half-quarter-striking train causes bell to be struck every seven and a half minutes and is driven by the large barrel; quarter-striking train, causes bell to be struck every 15 minutes, also driven by the large barrel; hour-striking train driven by small intermediate barrel powered by large barrel through the quarter-striking train; alarum mechanism missing; some of more easily detachable parts, including hands and chapter-ring, the two bells and gearing that lay beneath the dial plate are also lost; originally verge escapement was controlled by a balance, but now converted to pendulum.
The signed dial plate is a replacement.
- Production date
-
1640
-
17thC(late) (conversion)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 208 millimetres
-
Width: 81 millimetres
-
Depth: 90 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The following text is the entry for this object from the unpublished catalogue of pre-pendulum clocks by John Leopold, former Assistant Keeper of Horology at the Museum. This information is unedited and should be used accordingly.
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REMONTOIR MOVEMENT with half-quarter strike, grand sonnerie, and (probably) alarm.
Attributed to Johann Sayler, Ulm; ca.1640.
Purchased by the British Museum Society from John Lindsay Williams, 12 Petworth Road, Haslemere, Surrey, for £ 9475, and presented to the Museum.
Bibliography.
Tait (1983) 50 1.
BMM no.12 (Winter 1992) 31.
Wayman (2000) 66-67, fig. 4.22-25 (analysis of the large main spring).
SIGNATURE.
Under the dial the later signature "Royc a Wien", engraved through the gilding. (see Commentary).
Scratched on the dial plate, at the top of the ungilded portion: "12".
Scratched on the bar of the ½-quarter train, dial side: "forn" (front) and "firtel" (quarter). Scratched on the 2nd wheel of the ½-quarter train, rear side: "forn" (front) 1).
DESCRIPTION.
Case and dial.
All that remains of case and dial are the top plate with the bell stand and the dial plate.
The top plate is a gilded brass plate screwed to the movement over extensions of the pillars; there are four brass nuts and decoratively turned brass spacers. A group of holes in the front part of the plate is probably associated with the levers for the alarm mechanism. The steel bellstand is screwed to the top plate by two screws. The bellstand has at the top a brass bush and probably held two bells: one underneath and one on top.
The dial plate is of copper, gilded on the visible portions only. It is held in position by four lugs that fit into apertures in the top plate of the movement and the plate of the sub-frame for the main spring. Two profiled copper bands are riveted to the front of the dial plate, at top and bottom. Two angled copper strips are riveted to the back of the dial plate; these close the space between the dial plate and the front pillars of the movement. THere are six large and two very small holes for securing the dial; these remains suggest that there was a raised ring which secured a (enameled ?) silver disc. Three smaller holes are probably associated with a subsequent enamel dial.
Each corner of the dial plate is decorated with a flower in stipple-engraving, and at the bottom is the (later) signature. The lack of gilding in the centre of the dial plate suggests that the dial was a full disc rather than a chapterring. - The missing hand was secured by a pin.
Nothing remains of the rear dial, which appears to have carried the alarm disc (see Movement).
Movement.
General.
The movement strikes the half quarters as single blows, and the full quarters 1-2-3-4 each followed by the past hour; at the fourth quarter (full hour) this is followed by the new hour. The full and half quarters are struck by the same train.
The highly complicated movement has a large twin barrel and two remontoirs; a third remontoir is missing. This construction allows for a clock of four (five) trains to be wound by a single winding square only.
The remontoirs are of the type in which a going barrel driving one train is periodically wound by another train (Sayler type). In the present movement the trains that are driven directly by the twin barrel are the ½-quarter striking and the grand sonnerie trains; the third wheel of the ½-quarter striking winds the going train, while the second wheel of the ½-quarter striking wound what appears to have been the alarm train (remontoir and train now missing). The second wheel of the grand sonnerie train winds the secondary hour-striking train.
Sub-stage posted frame movement. The main movement has two rectangular plates connected by four profiled pillars screwed at top and bottom; a frame containing the main spring is screwed to the bottom of the lower plate. A vertical plate divides the main movement in two parts. The centre portion of the lower plate of this movement is raised to accomodate the large twin barrel. The front portion of the movement contains, from left to right, the ½-quarter, the going and the secondary hour trains; the rear portion the alarm (missing) and the grand sonnerie train.
The movement is constructed almost entirely of brass, gilded on the visible surfaces only. The twin barrel with its wheels and the wheels they mesh with are of steel. All the wheels have four crossings, except for the two wheels of the main spring barrel and the great wheels of the going and the secondary hour striking trains, which are solid.
Lower frame.
The lower frame is constructed on a plate which is screwed to the bottom plate of the main movement (originally four screws, now two modern ones). This plate carries two brackets (secured by two steel screws each) which carry the main spring barrel; at the bottom the brackets are connected by two simple square pillars (screwed at both ends). The barrel runs in steel bushes: the front bracket has a large round bush which is screwed from the inside (two screws), the rear bracket has a square bush which is pressed in from the inside.
The massive twin barrel assembly, made entirely of steel, consists of the actual barrel which is brazed to the front wheel and has a dovetailed cap at the other end, and the arbour which carries the rear wheel, with the clickwheel and click between the barrel and the rear wheel. The click, clickspring and ratchet wheel are sunk in the rear wheel. Both wheels have 60 teeth and are made from a double thickness of steel. The wall of the barrel is bent out of sheet and brazed at the join. The cap is held by six dovetails. The ratchet wheel has 16 teeth.
The spring is original; not blued, fairly regular in width (± .5 mm): ca.50 x .4 mm. The inner end is secured in a slanted slot; the outer end was apparently held by a hook on the inside of the barrel wall (hook now missing).
Half-quarter striking train.
Traincount:
60 60 ┌ 56 54 50
── ── │ ── ── ──
30 12 ┤ 8 6 5
↓ │
(remont. └ 40
alarm?) ──
40 → remont. going
2nd wheel: the steel wheel of 30 and the brass one of 60 have suare holes and are held in position by a decorative quare-sectioned brass pipe which is pinned to the arbor. The arbor transverses the entire depth of the movement. A similar pipe is mounted on the other end of the arbor; it probably held the remonoir-device for the alarm. The front end runs in a quare steel bush; the bush is pressed in from the inside.
3rd wheel: 14 brass lifting pins. This wheel is integral with the countwheel, divided 1-1-2-1-3-1-4-1; the rear end carries the wheel of 40 to wind the remontoir of the going train, and a disc with four studs to unlock the grand sonnerie train after each full quarter. The wheel slides on the square end of the arbor and was originally secured by a nut (nut now missing); the disc is mounted on the pipe of the wheel and is secured by a nut.
4th wheel: double steel cam for indexing and overlift.
5th wheel: two studs for locking (one a later addition).
Fly: a portion of the original brass fly remains, to which three new wings have been added.
Brass detend, tumbler piece and hammer arbor; the hammer is missing. The top of the hammer arbor runs in a decorative steel bush and the spring that loads it has a decorative top.
The train is unlocked by the pins on the disc of the great wheel of the going train. Unwarned striking with hammerlifting off the 3rd wheel, indexing on the 4th and locking on the 5th.
Going train.
Train count.
minutes
↑ from ½-quarters
16 12 ║ ┐ ↓
── ── ║ ├ 60 60
12 hours ← 48 48 ║ │ ── ── 33 (x2)
front dial │ 5 5
20 ║ ┘
── ║
12(?) hours ← .. ║
rear dial
Great wheel: the arbor is riveted to the barrel, and the great wheel is held friction-tight between the barrel and a steel disc which is pinned to the arbor. The disc carries eight pins for unlocking the ½-quarter striking (one pin now missing). The barrel cap is held by four studs. The front end of the arbor has a square which takes the pinion of the underdial work; this pinion is secured by the front portion of the arbor which is pinned to the main portion. The rear end of the arbor carries the steel pipe of the wheel of the remontoir: the pipe has the slanted slot for the spring, and wheel and pipe can revolve freely on the arbor. The rear end of the arbor has a square which carries the wheel for the rear dial, secured by a nut; this wheel also keeps the remontoir wheel in position. The rear end of the arbor is pivoted in a cock.
Remontoir spring: original but broken in two places. Not blued; 7 x .2 mm. Both ends were secured in slanted slots.
Contrate not original, though the arbor is.
Scapewheel: not original.
The wheels for the front dial are of steel.
Of the drive for the dial on the back all that remains are the wheel of 20 on the great wheel arbor, a steel post for an intermediate wheel (on the back of the central plate of the movement), and holes in this plate and the centre bar at the rear of the movement.
Alarm train.
Nothing remains of this train, but there is a square at the rear end of the arbor of the greatwheel of the quarter striking train which presumably held part of the remontoir of this train, and there are two holes in the top of the movement which appear to have accomodated the hammer-arbor. There are two holes for screws in the movement-bar which will have held a small frame for the train.
The alarm was presumably operated from the dial at the back of the clock (now missing, for the drive see Going train). It should be noted that this remontoir must have been different from the others: the alarm, once wound, would not always be used, and it was therefore necessary to prevent over-winding.
Grand sonnerie train.
This train is driven directly by the rear wheel of the twin barrel. There is a square hole in the bottom plate of the movement and round holes above it in the top plates, which are unexplained; perhaps they were associated with the alarm.
Traincount:
60 60 ┌ 56 54 45
── ── │ ── ── ──
remont.subs. ← 30 10 ┤ 7 6 5
hour striking │
8 ║ ┘
── ║
4 x 12 hours ← (156)║
2nd wheel: the steel wheel of 30 and the brass one of 60 have suare holes and are held in position by a decoratively turned brass pipe which is pinned to the arbor. The arbor transverses the entire depth of the movement; it carries the remontoire of the subsidiary hour striking train. At the rear the pivot runs in a square steel bush; the bush is pressed in from the inside.
3rd wheel: 16 brass lifting pins. The end of the arbor has a square for the pinion-of-report, but this and the count wheel are missing.
4th wheel: double disc. Decoratively turned arbor.
5th wheel: stud for locking.
Fly: brass part of the fly replaced.
Brass detend, tumbler piece and hammer arbor; the hammer is missing. The springs that load the detend and the hammer arbor have decorative ends; the top of the hammer arbor runs in a decorative steel bush.
The train is unlocked by the studs on the disc that is mounted on the 3rd wheel of the ½-quarter train. Unwarned striking with hannerlifting off the 3rd wheel, indexing on the 4th (no overlift required in this train) and locking on the 5th.
For the calculation which shows that this was 12-hour (and not e.g.6-hour) grand sonnerie see Duration.
Secondary hour striking train.
This train is driven, via a remontoir, by the grand sonnerie train.
Traincount:
grand sonnerie ← 56 ┌ 54 48 50
── │ ── ── ──
14 ┤ 9 6 5
│
6 ║ ┘
── ║
12-hour ← 78 ║
Great wheel: integral with the remontoir barrel. The assembly of wheel, barrel and a decoratively turned pipe revolves freely on the extended arbor of the 2nd wheel of the grand sonnerie train, which has the slanted slot for the spring. The outer end of the spring was secured by a brass crossbar. The cap is secured by three studs and the stud of the crossbar.
Remontoir spring: original but broken. Not blued; 7 x .3 mm. The outer end has a riveted crossbar; the inner end is secured in a slanted slot.
2nd wheel: 6 brass lifting pins. The arbor carries the pinion-of-report for the countwheel.
3rd wheel: single cam of steel.
4th wheel: two studs for locking (one of these has been added).
Fly: heavy brass fly, consisting of three split vanes.
Countwheel: steel wheel, brass disc.
Brass detend, tumbler piece and hammer arbor; the hammer is missing. The springs that load the detend and the hammer arbor have decorative ends; the top of the hammer arbor runs in a decorative steel bush.
The train was unlocked by a series of studs or pins on the countwheel of the grand sonnerie train (countwheel now missing). Unwarned striking with hammerlifting off the 2nd wheel, indexing and overlift off the 3rd and locking on the 4th.
CONVERSIONS.
The main conversion that this clock has undergone is the fitting of a short pendulum. The original scapewheel was replaced by the present contrate wheel and a new scapewheel added. The conversion probably took place in the 18th century.
Probably at the same time the original front dial was replaced, most likely by an enameled one.
MEASUREMENTS.
Hight overall - 209 mm
Movement: distance between the plates - 105 mm
distance between the bars, front portion - 33.5 mm
rear portion - 34 mm
PERFORMANCE.
Going train: great wheel - 1 rev. per hour.
Escapement - 9,504 beats per hour.
Remontoirs: going train needs 1 rev. per hour, which is exactly supplied by the
½-quarter train.
Subs.hour striking train needs 3.25 turns per 12 hours, which is
exactly supplied by the grand sonnerie train striking 1-12 hours.
Duration: the clock needs to be wound, per 24 hours, by 3.25 + 2 x 1.2 = 5.65
turns. That is about what can be expected of this large
mainspring, and the duration the clock may therefore be assumed
to be one day.
HISTORY AND PROVENANCE.
The signature on the dial shows that the clock was in Vienna at the beginning of the 20th century (see Commentary).
The earliest letter about this clock in the Museum's records dates from 13th January 1970. In this John Lindsay Williams stated that he had loaned the movement to the museum "several years ago" and would like it back. Notes by Beresford Hutchinson, dated 24th January 1970, recomend acquiring the object, but apparently nothing further was done and the movement remained on deposit in the Museum (possibly because of Williams's problems).
In September 1980 Williams offered the movement for £ 10,000, and in the next year it was acquired for that sum (less the capital gaines tax) by the British Museum Society and presented to the Museum. Reg. 1981,1-7.1.
COMMENTARY.
The remontoir system used in this movement appears to have been devized by Johann Sayler of Ulm some time before 1634 (see Introduction). The solid, squat design of the clock agrees with Sayler's signed work, as does the construction: Sayler's long-duration clocks are similarly constructed, in that they are tabernacle clocks with a deep base. For Sayler see Ballweg (1974) who quotes largely from A.Weyermann, Neue ... Nachrichten von Gelehrten und Künstlern ... aus der vormaligen Reichsstadt Ulm (Ulm [1829] 449-450 2)). Johannes Sayler, born 1597 in Angelburg (Niederbayern), arrived in Ulm 1617; one of his clocks is dated 1617 so he probably arrived fully trained. He is became a citizen in Ulm in 1624 and was Master of the guild in 1646 3). He died in Ulm 1668, leaving a son named Christoph Sailer who was also a clockmaker and who died in 1688. For Joahnnes Sailer see also the introduction.
The signature "Royc a Wien" probably refers to Gottlieb Rojko, mentioned in Vienna in 1915 (Weijdom Claterbos [1973] 82). He would appear to have had the clock in his shop; for similar dealers' names see nrs. .
The complicated construction made for some difficulties when running this clock. Since the remontoir springs were fixed in their barrels there would be problems if the remontoir trains failed or if the primary trains were allowed to run too much (e.g. when adjusting the striking), because the remontoire-springs would become overwound. Indeed this is probably the reason why both remontoire springs now are broken. After a period of idleness it would be better to set the clock going again at the time indicated by the hands, rather than start the clock and adjust the striking in the conventional way.
An interesting detail is the use of steel bushes with square pivot holes. Square holes allow for a generous amount of lubricant (fat) to be present at the bearing surfaces. Square pivot holes are occasionally met with in turret movements, but they are rare in chamber clocks. In the present clock they are used at the points of greatest thrust.
The fourth wheel of the subsidiary hour striking has more teeth than the third wheel: this is unusual, but there is no reason to doubt the originality of either.
_______________________________
1) The wheel is clearly mounted correctly. The inscription probably refers to the fact that it meshes with the front wheel of the main spring barrel.
2) Not mentioned in the first edtion, published Ulm 1798.
3) In Ulm the clockmakers formed part of the locksmiths corporation (A.Häberle, Die Zunftaltertümmer des Museums der Stadt Ulm, Ulmer Schriften zur Kulturgeschichte 5 [Ulm 1929] 27, 113 ff.).
Grand sonnerie train: if 12-hour, then the remontoire is wound per 12 hours by 3.25 turns. If 6-hour, then the rem. is wound per 6 hours by .875 turns. The subs. 12-hour train needs 3.25 turns per 12 hours, therefore the grand sonnerie was also 12-hour.
The vertical arbor/post that used to sit in the grand sonnerie train cannot have been for a caroussel: the proportions don't allow a decent-sized contrate wheel meshing with any of the pinions.
NB: in the photographs the smaller nut on the exploded view of the ½/¼- countwheel should be at the end of the remontoir of the going.
The long-duration tabernacle clocks.
For the privately owned Sayler long duration clock see: AH 15 no.6 (December 1985) 541; Vehmeyer (1994) no.36. This clock was inspected; it has a duration of ½ year. The two others appear to have about the same proportions and wheel-counts, and probably have the same duration.
A silver long duration clock was exhibited London 1850 no.417: this may be the tabernacle now in Stuttgart (ex Rothschild, Himmelein [1973] figs.42-45; Ballweg [1974] 57). O.Morgan saw this clock in London (see CHAIN). Because of the dates of the silversmith this clock cannot date from later than 1634 (Hans Jerg Merckle d.Ä, 1588-1634).
The other long-duration tabernacle in Stuttgart (Himmelein [1973] figs.46-7) is ex Graf Adelmann (sale [1927] no.174, with particulars of the maker: "geb.1597 in Angelberg, seit 1617 in Ulm, 1646 Zunftmeister, + 1668").
Hainhofer mentions a year-going clock made for an Amsterdam merchant; when was this?
Note that there is another silver clock by Sayler (app.a normal horizontal one) on loan to the Ulmer Museum (Goldschmiedekunst in Ulm, Kataloge des Ulmer Museums IV [Ulm 1990] no.36"). Ballweg (1974) 56 suggests that this clock may have had a crossbeat.
Himmelein (1973) figs.46-7 as well as Ballweg (1974) 57 quote: A.Weyermann, Neue Nachrichten von Gelehrten und Künstlern (Ulm 1829) 449 ff. I checked the first edition (Ulm 1798), but this has nothing. Check this further. Himmelein gives Saylers dates as 1597-1668 (probably quoting Graf Adelmann).
For Sayler see Ballweg (1974): 7 June 1597 (Angelburg in Niederbayern, Bistum Freising); arrived Ulm 1617; citizen in Ulm and marries 1624; made his masterpiece 1626; died 16 Sept.1668. However, Maurice (1976) fig.659 is dated 1617, so perhaps he made his masterpiece long after he became free. In Ulm the clockmakers were organised under the locksmiths +). Ballweg thinks that he was a pupil of the clockmaker Johannes Müller (died 1632), but it should be noted that Sayler married 1624 Barbara Bleig (born Ulm 1601, perhaps a daughter of Christoph Pleig for whom see commentary of CAI 1966). Abeler (p.485) has Leonhard Pleig: born Augsburg ca.1588, master there 1588, moved to Ulm 1592, last ment. Ulm 1617. Duke August d.j. of Brunswick first bought from Sayler in 1629 (Fink [1953] 6). Kaspar Langenbucher of Augsburg was Sayler's pupil (Fink [1953] 5, 11; Abeler); another one is mentioned by Hainhofer (Martin Heberlin? see Fink [1953] 4).
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+) The guild-regulation concerning the masterpiece was in 1549: "Item ain Uhrmacher soll ain Vierteil Vhr, welche den Monschein zaig, machen könnden" (A.Häberle, Die Zunftaltertümmer des Museums der Stadt Ulm, Ulmer Schriften zur Kulturgeschichte 5 (Ulm 1929) 27, 113 ff.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY (Pauline Wholey – 2019)
Tait (1983) H.Tait, Clocks and Watches (London 1983).
BMM no.12 (Winter 1992) 31.
Wayman (2000) - M.L.Wayman ed., The ferrous Metallurgy of early Clocks and Watches - Studies in post medieval Steel, British Museum, Occasional Paper 135 (London 2000). Contributers: P.T.Craddock, J.L.Evans, J.Lang, J.H.Leopold, M.L.Wayman.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Latest: 5 (Oct 2015)
- Acquisition date
- 1981
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1981,0107.1
