Comments:
Arguably the best independent American watchmaker of the Century. RIP Gene Clark (nt)
Itâs Highly Likely that this watch wonât be used very often
Or if it is, will never be set to the second.
Complex instruction sequences like this are the reason âinstruction manual databasesâ are so popular and convenient when accessible on the web. Not to mention YouTube videos. Some things just donât work in writing (like this).
Cazalea
Complex instruction sequences like this are the reason âinstruction manual databasesâ are so popular and convenient when accessible on the web. Not to mention YouTube videos. Some things just donât work in writing (like this).
Cazalea
Further fun reading...
For fun please see Peyton Autry: NAWCC Bulletin # 293 The Clark Tourbillons Part 1 and NAWCC Bulletin # 297 The Clark Tourbillons Part 2; also recommended a 2-part NAWCC article by Peyton Autry called The Lost Art of Breguet regarding Gene Clark but the NAWCC Bulletin issue numbers escape me.
An American Tourbillon (Horological Times August 1988)
For the rapt reader here is an article from 1988 (Horological Times) regarding Gene Clark's # 7 tourbillon...anyone with even a glancing curiosity in American horology will find the article enjoyable even for a layman like myself. Readers are encouraged to seek out the Horological Times (September 1991) article: An American Tourbillon with Constant Force Escapement regarding Gene Clark's # 4 tourbillon by the same author; a must-read for fans of Gene Clark.
Gene Clark No. 7 inspiration: Breguet No. 282?
I am guessing the inspiration for Gene Clark's No. 7 tourbillon was Breguet No. 282, one of Breguet's first tourbillons if not the first.
Apropos of Breguet No. 282
George Daniels' fans will remember Sam Bloomfield (1907-1979?), the owner of Breguet No. 282 prior to its entry into the Asprey collection, was the recipient of the third George Daniels tourbillon.
Apropos of Sam BloomField
Fans of mystery will note that in addition to Breguet No. 282 and the George Daniels No. 3 tourbillon it is rumored the "missing", though probably not really missing per se, J. P. Morgan J. Player & Son watch was owned by Sam Bloomfield upon his death in 1979 and at such time the provenance of the watch gets murky. A 2021 Los Angeles Times has a nice article on the watch for the curious.
Apropos of J. Player & Sons astronomical watch (Horological Journal, April 1909)
For the curious here is most likely the first published description of the J. Player & Sons watch mentioned earlier.
J. Player & Son astronomical watch (HIA Journal)
In the case anyone is researching the J. Player & Son watch and wants all the bric-a-brac: the watch appeared on the covers of the August and September 1947 issues of the HIA Journal and then again for whatever reason on the covers of the September and October 1952 issues; the 1947 issues have a one page note regarding the covers whereas the 1952 issues just note the watch on the TOC page. The watch is described in the September 1947 issue in an article entitled "Time is Money".