Musee International d'Horlogerie - La Chaux-de-Fonds => part 1

[CMa]

I couldn't miss this..
Sorry for poor pics quality, not allowed to use the flash and tripod not usable.

[Don Indiano]

Great report, Cristi. Here's a quick translation of the French text:

[edit: sorry, wrong translation -- see reply below]
MYSTERY PENDULUM (or MYSTERY CLOCK)

The mystery is that the pendulum held by the statue at arm's length seems to hover without external interference. In fact, the horological movement gives to the statue, via a special escapement, a tiny rotation motion, invisible to the naked eye, to sustain the hoverings of the pendulum.

[Hobbes]

and should this not be in pt 2? i am now getting dizzy, must be that fall earlier :(

[Don Indiano]

Err... let's try again... :-x ;-)
LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS' CENTRAL TIMETABLE

This clock drove, thanks to a system of electrical switches moving every minute, a network of public clocks spread around the town. It was first installed around 1880 [...].

[CMa]

Great report, Cristi. Here's a quick translation of the French text:

[edit: sorry, wrong translation -- see reply below]MYSTERY PENDULUM (or MYSTERY CLOCK)

The mystery is that the pendulum held by the statue at arm's length seems to hover without external interference. In fact, the horological movement gives to the statue, via a special escapement, a tiny rotation motion, invisible to the naked eye, to sustain the hoverings of the pendulum.

Thanks Don !
I apologize for the missing translation, but I was writing these posts at midnight and I was just about to drop off :oops:
Indeed, the central clock distribution electro-mechanical system and the mystery pendulum are the most interesting. If I'm not mistaken, there are also 2 vintage tourbillon watches !
About the mystery pendulum, it's just looking as a "perpetuum-mobile". Maybe some watchmakers can explain the "trick", because I'm not buying this ;-) The watch will stop - I'm wondering what's its "time reserve" - but I'm curios what do they do to wind it..

Cheers,
Cristi