With a nod to the famed early nineteenth-century clock maker Abraham Louis Breguet, David Walter presents the pinnacle of modern clock making, 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 all about Accuracy
Over the years we have seen some spectacular clocks, but this one takes it to a new level. Please enjoy reading about these rare complications in a tall case clock.
The greatest horologists are driven not by fame or fortune, but by the pursuit of mechanical perfection. David Walter is one such master, perhaps the greatest living clockmaker. Please see photographs of what stands as David Walter’s magnum opus — a double pendulum regulator clock with a planisphere and wandering moon, among the most complex achievements in horology.
Trained in the traditions of fine Swiss watchmaking, Walter is one of the rare modern masters drawn to clocks for their complexity and the intellectual range they demand. Nothing compels him more than the assertion that something cannot be done. Working entirely alone, he builds every component by hand in his workshop to meet his exacting standards. This complete control allows him to pursue mechanisms few horologists would dare attempt, shaping nearly every element of this remarkable creation.
This clock was inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet’s double pendulum crafted for George IV, yet Walter carries the idea into far more ambitious territory. He completed his first double pendulum regulator clock in 2009, a triumph that earned significant acclaim in the Horological Journal and Style Book. Among its advances was an escapement conceived by Walter himself, a significant refinement of a system grounded in Galileo’s 1602 study of resonance. Discovering resonance allowed horologists to link pendulums so they would synchronize and correct one another’s errors rather than fall into the disruptive patterns that occur when they operate independently.
Breguet’s clock ran two pendulums on one movement. Walter’s clock runs not one but two independent movements, each telling a different type of time. This clock is the ultimate evolution of his earlier model and features include:
Left Dial — The Sun’s Time (Determined by the sun’s position in the sky, the time most people use every day.)
Equation of Time – Shows the difference between apparent solar time (sundial) and mean solar time (clock).
Sunrise & Sunset Indicators (with annual calendar) – Displays the shifting sunrise and sunset times throughout the year.
Perpetual Calendar (day, date, month, leap year)- Automatically accounts for varying month lengths and leap years.Retrograde Date- Date hand travels along a curved scale 1–31 and then snaps back to 1 at month’s end.Equation Date- Indicates the day of the year corresponding to the Equation of Time value.
Right Dial — The Star’s Time (Sidereal time is used in astronomy to track Earth’s rotation relative to the stars. Sidereal time runs slightly faster than solar time, completing a full cycle in 23 hours 56 minutes.)
Planisphere (Star Map)- A rotating map of the night sky made from solid lapis lazuli with 22K yellow gold stars beneath.
Sun Hand– Shows the Sun’s position relative to sidereal time, crafted in 22K yellow gold.
Wandering Moon- Displays lunar age, lunar phase and the angle of the Moon relative to the Sun. Indicated by platinum and blued steel Breguet-style hands.
Additional elements:
- Both movements are fully jeweled, greatly reducing friction.
- Fused silica quartz pendulum rods, prized for thermal stability.
- Riefler-style solid brass pendulum bobs, a hallmark of high-precision regulators.
- Handmade case of flame mahogany with ebony inlays, built to the same uncompromising standard as the movement itself.
During its construction, Walter documented the process in a blog series that captivated horological circles worldwide. Upon completion, the clock was celebrated as a modern triumph of ingenuity and genius.
At 84 1/4” high by 19 5/8” wide and 12 3/4” deep, this clock is a marvel of mechanical artistry.
Double Pendulum Clock with Planisphere and Wandering MoonDavid WalterCirca 2015
This extraordinary double pendulum regulator clock represents the apex of contemporary horology and stands as a monumental achievement of David Walter. It is the most complicated double pendulum clock ever made. Inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet’s celebrated double pendulum created for George IV, Walter elevates the concept to unprecedented complexity by incorporating two independent movements that simultaneously track solar and sidereal time.
Among the most sophisticated mechanical timekeepers ever constructed, this extraordinary clock features dual independent movements enriched with a suite of astronomical complications. These include a planisphere star map, wandering moon display, perpetual calendar and equation of time—each representing a pinnacle of horological achievement. Both movements are equipped with fully jeweled trains, Riefler-style brass pendulum bobs and fused silica quartz pendulum rods selected for their exceptional thermal stability, underscoring the clock’s uncompromising precision.
The left dial presents solar time with an equation of time display, sunrise and sunset indicators, and an annual calendar. It also incorporates a perpetual calendar with a retrograde date and equation date function.
The right dial displays sidereal time beneath a rotating planisphere carved from solid lapis lazuli and studded with 22-karat gold stars. This is complemented by a gold sun hand and an intricate wandering moon mechanism indicating lunar phase, age and angular position relative to the sun.
Encasing this mechanical virtuosity is a commanding flame mahogany cabinet enriched with ebony inlays. The case houses the twin dials in a balanced architectural composition that reflects the artistry and gravitas of classical precision clockmaking.
Born in Perth, Western Australia, David Walter’s career in horology has spanned more than half a century, establishing him as one of the most accomplished independent clockmakers of his time. Beginning his clockmaking practice in the 1970s, Walter has achieved numerous technical triumphs, including a double pendulum table clock created as homage to Antide Janvier and several wall and floor-mounted double pendulum regulators.
A Liveryman of London’s Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, Walter was awarded the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors’ prestigious 2018 Dana J. Blackwell Clock Award, along with two People’s Choice and two first-place awards in the 2002 and 2012 NAWCC craft competitions.
Working entirely alone in his workshop, he fabricates every component by hand to meet his exacting standards—a complete mastery that allows him to pursue mechanisms few horologists would dare attempt.
84 1/4″ high x 19 5/8″ wide x 12 3/4″ deep
Value on application.
- 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
- Two month-running movements with separate winding for each movement
- Fully jeweled bearings and pallets – a total of 71 jewels in both movements
- Fused silica (quartz) pendulum rods with Invar fittings and compensated brass bobs
- Two specially engraved dials – signed, numbered, and French silvered
- Equation of time indicator – exclusive hand design in 14K gold
- Sidereal time, indicated on a 24 hour dial in Breguet numerals, with a conversion train error of 1 second in 8.6 years; displays true sidereal seconds
- Spherical moon phase indicator with a lunar train error of 1 second in 2.6 years
- Heat-treated “blued” steel screws and hands (left dial Breguet Moon style, right dial Breguet skeletonized Moon style)
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:
Read more about this clock
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 links below if you’d like to learn more.
The complete story of David Walter’s Double Pendulum Clock – View PDF
American Express Style Book Article – View PDF
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