One part of horology history I really enjoy apart from vintage watches is clock towers. I love visiting them, reading about them, and, naturally, writing about them. We’ve discussed a few before but the Salisbury Cathedral clock in Salisbury, England is among the oldest working clocks in the world – a highly contested fact as many other intriguing clock towers claim the same.
From a horological perspective, the Salisbury Cathedral clock, also known as the Wells clock, is notable for using the earliest kind of mechanical movement, known as the crown wheel escapement. These were also called verge escapements which means ‘stick’ in Latin. Crown wheel escapements were quite simple, the verge ‘stick’ would be attached to a ‘foliot’ – a sort balance wheel that would have two weights attached to it – and oscillated back and forth with the rotation of the crown wheel that turned the verge. The rate of the foliot could be regulated by adjusting the weights attached to it. These simple escapements were used until the 19th century. And as mentioned this is the kind of movement that was used in the Salisbury Cathedral clock.
The Salisbury Cathedral clock was first constructed circa 1386 (there is some evidence that points to an earlier clock in 1306 and to this clock being made in 1325, although 1386 is the date to go by at the moment). Now, this clock is not actually in a clock tower but was found in a bell tower centuries after its construction. The original clock tower had been demolished at the end of the 18th century. It was found by accident in 1928 by T.R. Robinson, who was a horologist of note at the time and was inspecting a clock in another area of the Cathedral. Subsequently, the clock was restored in the mid 20th century. Talk about a vintage find!
The surviving clock was built to strike the hours and does so still, although it is not in original condition and has several replacement/re-made parts. Notably, the verge escapement and foliot are said to have been replaced in the 17th century but other parts were also changed in modern times.
Salisbury Cathedral / Credit: Salisbury Journal
Apart from the Salisbury Cathedral clock, what were the other clocks that also claim to be the oldest in the world? Well, there’s the Comayague Cathedral clock in Honduras, the Beauvais Cathedral clock in France, and the Orologio della Torre di Sant'Andrea in Chioggia, Italy. All of which claim or have claimed to be the oldest working mechanical clock (or ‘medieval’ mechanical clock) in the world.
Another fun fact about the Wells clock, there was a trial organized in 1993 to debate the ‘fraudulence’ of the 1386 dating claim. There was no clear result but it goes to show the dedication of some horologists.
A Seiko pocket watch on sale by TVW. Click here.