These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Decimal clock
Maker: Destigny, Pierre Daniel
Pine case veneered with mahogany, with dials showing decimal time and duodecimal time. The movement with 'dead-beat' escapement, and a half decimal second pendulum, with gridiron compensation
Dial: 4 1/2 inch diameter dial with gilt engine-turned centre and bezel. Narrow enamel chapter ring with 100 minute divisions on the inner edge each divided into halves, with arabic numerals 1 - 10 for the hours, and seconds divisions on the outer edge numbered 10, 20 - 100. Blued steel hands, plain for minutes and voided spade design for hours and sweep seconds. Small enamel dial inset above the centre with hours I - XII twice and minutes on the outer edge numbered 15, 30, 45, 60. Signed above the lower XII `Destigny A Rouen'. Moon design hour and minute hands.
Movement: Timepiece movement, reputed to run for 45 days, so intended to be wound monthly. Going bar¬rel with dead beat escapement and beat setting adjustment to crutch. Half decimal second pendulum with 9 rod grid iron compensation and massive bob. A pointer is fixed to the bottom of the bob to show the amplitude of vibration on a degree scale fixed to the case.
Case: Pine carcase veneered with mahogany. In the form of a rectangular plinth with four Tuscan columns supporting an entablature and with gilt metal mounts.
Given by Mrs Sigismund Goetze
Height: 48.3 cm
Height: 19 in
Method of acquisition: Given (1943-03-02) by Goetze, Constance, Mrs
18th Century, Late-19th Century, Early#
Circa
1798
CE
-
Circa
1805
CE
This is a rare example of a clock showing the time in decimal units as introduced by the French Revolutionary Government in 1793. The Government ordered the reform of all forms of measurement on a decimal basis which included dividing a thirty-day month into three ten-day ‘weeks'. The day was divided into ten hours and each hour into 100 minutes. The minute consisted of 100 seconds. Thus the decimal minute was much longer than the duodecimal one (1.44 minutes) and the decimal second was shorter (0.864 seconds). This system of time measurement, along with the decimal calendar, was abandoned in 1805. Probably because of the difficulty in relating to the new system, most of these clocks, including the present example, also showed duodecimal time.
Dial
composed of
enamel
( white)
Veneer
composed of
mahogany
Carcase
composed of
pine
Movement
composed of
brass (alloy)
Decoration
Surface
Accession number: M/F.4-1943
Primary reference Number: 118365
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Decimal clock" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/118365 Accessed: 2024-04-19 06:45:36
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/118365
|title=Decimal clock
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-19 06:45:36|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-118365
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa35/M_F_4_1943_1_201612_amt49_dc2.jpg"
alt="Decimal clock"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Decimal clock</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Accession Number: M.1-2013
Accession Number: M.2-2013
Accession Number: M.25-1938
Accession Number: M.18-1940
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...
