108th Auction
2023/5/20
Lot 331
Louis Leroy & Cie Paris
An astronomical precision pendulum clock of museum quality - only few such clocks were produced by the company L. Leroy and they are the quintessence of mechanical second precision pendulum clocks making in France
Sold
estimated
50.000—100.000 €
Price realized
65.000 €
specific features
Case
Varnished airtight metal cylinder for constant air pressure, glass dome, cast iron suspension with adjusting screws.
Dial
Small silvered seconds dial, electrical winding system, brass bezel, blued steel hand.
Movement
Ornamented trapezoidal brass plate movement, finely interlocked brass gearing, variant of gravity escapement as designed by Reid and updated by L. Leroy.A fresh impulse is given every 32 seconds by a small weight on a falling arm, which is lifted again by an electromagnet. Electromechanical contact device, Invar pendulum with cylindrical weight. The speed can be adjusted by setting the internal pressure of the cylinder, starting with 0 atm.
Diam.1500 mm
Circa1930
Ctry.France
Wt.1055500 g
The Paris observatory had 3 of these clocks in use, which were installed in the catacombs at a depth of 26 m, to guarantee constant temperature and atmospheric pressure. Electric signals were transmitted to the "Service de l'Heure", which provided time signals such as the radio broadcast transmitted every hour from the Eiffel Tower.
Louis Leroy & Cie. were the most important French makers of precision pendulum clocks for observatories in the 20th century. They produced the first one in 1912 and the last in 1957; by the end of production, they had created circa 64 of these clocks, which is a small number when compared to the number of pieces produced by Shortt and Riefler.