The Double Pendulum Clock

With a nod to the famed early nineteenth-century clockmaker Abraham Louis Breguet, David Walter presents the pinnacle of modern clockmaking, his double pendulum clocks. Styled after Breguet's exquisite double-dial creations, these new clocks incorporate both construction and complications that surpass the innovative 1825 timepieces.

It's About Accuracy

This clock has many features designed to improve accuracy. All the bearings and escape pallets are jeweled, which both reduces friction and prolongs the life of the clock. The pendulum rods are made of fused silica (quartz), making them nearly impervious to temperature changes. But the most striking and important feature is the double pendulum. When two pendulums are hanging on the same non-rigid mounting frame, they want to swing in anti-phase, that is, swing in opposite directions. One unexpected property of this phenomenon is that slight errors in the period of oscillation of one pendulum are corrected by the other. The result is amazingly accurate timekeeping.

Not Just the Time of Day

The two French-silvered dials of this clock show:

• mean solar time
• the equation of time, which shows the difference between mean and actual solar time
• sidereal time, which is timekeeping based on the earth's position relative to distant stars
• phases of the moon using an intuitive spherical display
• month and date

The story of this clock - its origins, development and enhancements by David Walter - is a fascinating read both for the serious horologist and mechanically- or scientifically-inclined reader. Click the link below if you'd like to learn more.

The complete story of David Walter's double pendulum clock

When you are ready to add one of the most remarkable mechanical timepieces of the 21st century to your collection, give us a call.

Compensating weight trays
on the pendulum rods

Pendulum bobs

Suspension close-up

Pinwheel escapement