Astronomical longcase clock

The Académie des Sciences commended Louis Charles Gallonde’s clocks several times for their mechanical perfection and the quality of their craftsmanship. The particularity of this longcase clock is that it beats the seconds and serves as a reference to adjust other clocks. It indicates the hours and minutes separately on the two small dials within the large double dial. The latter has a fixed circle marking the seconds, and a mobile circle indicating the day of the month. A ring between the two shows the twelve signs of the zodiac. This clock has a ‘perpetual calendar’, enabling the date to be read whether it is a leap year or not. Mounted in ebony and gilt bronze, it illustrates the complexity attained by 18th-century clockmakers.