Production date or what???

[pkamargo]

Hello!
I hope anyone can help us.
One of my customers sent me a link of an auction of an old french clock. The seller says the clock was made in 1630 because in the back plate of the movement it is engraved “PARIS II-X-1630”. Could this actually be the date of clock production or just a kind of serial number? Or maybe just fake recent engraving trying to fool someone?
As much as I know (not much) at that age it was not commom practice of clockmakers to engrave date of production…

• This topic was modified 3 years ago by Tamas Richard.

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Pkamargo,

Nice old movement….but not that old. Huygens didn’t apply the first pendulum to a clock until 1657 and the recoil anchor escapement (which from what little I can see from the pic looks like that clock might use) wasn’t invented for another 10 years or so after that. I think verge escapements were used exclusively for pendulum clocks up until 1668 or so. Alot of pendulum clocks were made in Paris soon after Huygens introduced them. I’m not sure what the inscription means but there are probably some clock historians out there that can tell us.

Take care Pkamargo and enjoy!

Bob

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