![]() In A CRAFTSMAN'S LEGACY, host Eric Gorges goes on a quest to discover the true craftsmen in today's world. Being keen on anything related to the clockmaker John Harrison I thought it appropriate to use his chordal pitch gearing for the center wheel and roller pinion for the escape wheel.Welcome to the magical world of a clockmaker, where the gears are lovingly handmade and time truly does stand still as host Eric Gorges and young clock maker Nate Bowers create a beautiful exposed gear clock.Įpisode Duration: 26 minutes and 47 secondsĮpisode Number: 201 All broadcast times for this episode: I was able to use a minimal train for the clock by driving it with a frequently rewound Wagner type remontoire hidden behind the mounting plate. The clock is in the regulator style featuring dual time zones. Progress of the work can be seen on my Instagram feed the geometry of this escapement is very much that of the Grasshopper I renamed it the ‘Spider Escapement’ considering the pallet assembly resembles a spider in its appearance and action. The work on this clock is, for the most part, complete and undergoing tests. Initially, I reworked the geometry for aesthetic balance but realized that it may have promise as a good timekeeper owing to its balance of torque delivery to the pendulum. Rather than the single escape wheel with an offset pallet assembly used in the traditional grasshopper my variation uses two mirrored escape wheels and a central mirrored pallet layout. I designed the escapement some time ago for a horologically inspired kinetic work titled Figheadair. Consequently escapements feature strongly in my work.Ĭurrently, I’ve been experimenting with a novel adaptation of the Grasshopper escapement. Each family and their derivatives are a bookmark in history, and lend themselves well to sculptural reinterpretation. Working with the geometries of escapements is incredibly fascinating. Specifically those from the Grasshopper and Gravity families. My interest has always been clock escapements. ![]() If any of the designs are of interest they’re available by commission. ![]() I’ve recently published the designs in Chronometric Concepts, available free through The Naked Watchmaker. Lately, though I’ve had the opportunity to delve more deeply into the work with a more classical approach building on ideas I’ve had over the past couple of decades. My early work was more of an abstraction of horological norms, so I considered it to be more horologically inspired kinetic art than true clockmaking. I began experimenting with sculptural clock making in the mid-nineties. All have unique approaches and styles to their work. Miki Eleta, Florian Schlumpf and Jean Kazes in Switzerland, Philippe Wurzt, Matthius Naeschke and David Atkinson in Germany, Eric Frietas, James Bordan, Nathan Bower, Rick Hale and David Walters in the US, Robert Bray of Sinclair Harding and Brian Law in the UK, myself in Canada and Will Matheson and the Buchanans in Australia to name a few. Burgess subsequently created some remarkable sculptural clocks largely based on the work of John Harrison (1693 – 1776).Īlthough watches tend to dominate the horological landscape a small group of contemporary independent clockmakers take a sculptural approach. In the 1970s, Martin Burgess, an English sculptural clockmaker mused aloud that there was an opportunity to draw on our horological history to create a radically new approach to Horology. Although for the most part I’ve long since left restoration to explore sculptural clockmaking, I still draw on the incredible history I’ve been exposed to in my career and utilize the technologies available. As creators, the fascination is compounded by the potential of this art form and with the advent of current technologies it seems this potential is limited only by imagination.įor myself as a former restorer, every new project added another layer of appreciation, revelation, and an opportunity to learn. Whether we arrive here appreciating a history full of stories and legends, or as creators or aficionados it's no wonder that the craft becomes so consuming! Horology has always been fertile ground for the creativity. This is particularly true when there’s an opportunity to consider items firsthand. This is obvious to anyone with a casual interest in horology but for those with a deeper involvement, it drives our fascination to a degree where we frequently marvel at the skill and thought given to even the most mundane components. There are few crafts that combine science, mechanics and aesthetics so comprehensively as Horology.
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