Mathieu Planchon

Mathieu Planchon, Paris, No. 1477, circa 1895. Very fine and unique, one month going, expanding fan clock. The fan "a la brisee" is made of thirteen ivory light sticks linked by a blue silk ribbon with gilt decoration and painted with a scene depicting Ulysse and Diomedes, discovering Achilles, dressed as a maiden, between the daughters of Lycomedes. It is pivoted as an ordinary folding fan and applied on a velvet covered strut. Each of the sticks, is painted with an Arabic hour chapter. The time is shown by a serpent shaped index on the first stick on the left, whilst the fan unfolds stick by stick and flies back when fully developed, driven through the pivot by the movement, fitted on the back of the strut, in a giltbrass box with hinged back door. Large brass rectangular, with cylindrical pillars and large going barrel, pointed tooth lateral lever escapement with bimetallic balance and Breguet balance spring. Mechanism on the back plate, driving the development and folding back of the fan by means of a cam, a spring loaded lever and rack and pinion. Signed on the back door and back plate of the movement. Dim. of the strut: 24 x 39 x 15 cm. Notes The hours are shown from 6 in the morning to (3 in the evening and then the fan folds back to show the hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., chapter 12 for noon and midnight being painted on the central stick. This fan was described and illustrated by Planchon himself, first in La iVdaoe, Tome II, 1895 and in his book: L'horloge, s Read more…