The golden sphere, etched with the celestial map de Vaugondy drew for Louis XV, offers only a few subtle lines to suggest that not all is as it seems. Created for the 250th anniversary of watchmaker Vacheron Constantin, the curious item is in fact a mystery clock, composed of eight mechanical petals that open to reveal the timepiece within.
Only its maker and its owner, who paid $2m for it at auction, know the secret to the automaton's operation, which uses some kind of complex spring mechanism. Opened, the carapace reveals an intricate fan of 16 hinges and rods beneath the facade.
The clock face itself is embellished with the zodiac, and offers calendar fuctions including the name of the day, the age and phase of the moon, and the position of the sun, based on cacluations undertaken by 18th century mathematicians Charles Camus and Antide Janvier. Crafted from 18-carat pink gold, the hatching sphere is 22cm in diameter and driven by a mechanical motor concealed within the base. The glass is in fact glareproofed sapphire crystal. Even the dials are cut from 18-carat gold, silvered with the anniversary motif and engraved indications.
The star-map depicts the night of September 17, 1755, corresponding to the first documentary evidence of the Vacherons' existence; polished without, the interior is satin-brushed. It even has a French motto:* L’ESPRIT DES CABINOTIERS*
(Spotted by John Brownlee of Table of Malcontents. Cheers!)
L’ESPRIT DES CABINOTIERS: POETRY IN THE FORM OF AN UNIQUE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK [Network54]
Hatching Astronomic Sphere Clock by Vacheron Constantin [Watchismo]
