105th Auction
2021/11/13
Lot 71
Clemens RieflerType E
An astronomical precicion seconds pendulum clock in museum quality - built by Riefler in only 3 examples, to try what maximum accuracy is possible by a seconds pendulum clock
Sold
estimated
140.000—180.000 €
Price realized
175.000 €
specific features
Case
Laquered, air-tight copper cylinder, glass dome, cast iron suspension with adjusting screw.
Dial
Small seconds dial, diam. 140 mm, silvered, half-moon control window for electrical winding system, brass bezel, blued steel han.
Movement
Brass plate movement, gilt, steel parts chromium-plated, two axles, all pivot holes jewelled with sapphires, free gravity escapement with two double sided impulse levers and the special two Riefler escapement wheels, double sided impulse levers made in super invar, the weight of each is in this way balanced on the pivot that only 1 gram lies on the wheel, sapphire paletts, special Riefler-Electric rewind supplementary, knife edge suspension on agate pads, pendulum type J1 with cylindrical pendulum bob made of super invar and quartz glass pendulum rod, beat microscope, optic and photoelectric cell, mounted on an adjusting slide, barometer, thermometer, amplifier made by Riefler in their own electronic departement with remote control, second contacts and control instruments, electric slave clock type F1 new with a regulator dial, blued steel hands.
Diam.1450 mm
Circa1960
Ctry.Germany
Wt.1000 g
The most precise mechanical seconds pendulum clock in the world
The clock was designed in 1958 and built in 1960; it was the third of only three clocks and was tested by the physicist Dr. H. Gockel in the Riefler laboratory. It was designed with the intention to determine the maximum precision that could be achieved by a mechanical seconds pendulum clock.