Longcase equation regulator

Clockmaker: Ferdinand Berthoud French
 Case maker: Balthazar Lieutaud French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 526

French clocks with long pendulums and weights are called régulateurs (regulators). This clock, presented in April 1752 to the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, appears to be the first equation clock by Berthoud, who came to specialize in timekeepers showing both solar time, which varies slightly according to the season, and mean solar time, which is stable throughout the year. The trunk of Lieutaud’s case swells just above the base, enclosing a shaped opening to show the pendulum. The curved outline of the case is not only in keeping with the rococo style popular in the mid-eighteenth century but also highlights Berthoud’s cutting-edge technology of the time.

Longcase equation regulator, Clockmaker: Ferdinand Berthoud (French, 1727–1807), Oak veneered with satinwood and kingwood; gilt-bronze mounts, glass, enamel, steel, and brass, French

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Longcase equation regulator, Clockmaker: Ferdinand Berthoud (French, 1727–1807), Oak veneered with satinwood and kingwood; gilt-bronze mounts, glass, enamel, steel, and brass, French
Longcase equation regulator, Clockmaker: Ferdinand Berthoud (French, 1727–1807), Oak veneered with satinwood and kingwood; gilt-bronze mounts, glass, enamel, steel, and brass, French
Longcase equation regulator, Clockmaker: Ferdinand Berthoud (French, 1727–1807), Oak veneered with satinwood and kingwood; gilt-bronze mounts, glass, enamel, steel, and brass, French

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.