Electric Marti

[fixoclock]

Fritz Marti, a French maker of excellent quality mechanical clocks in the late 1800's to early 1900's, is the maker of this most unusual and rare clock.
It appear to be factory made from standard round plate materials however the time and strike mechanisms are driven by a single barrel which is keep wound by an early example of an AC synchronous motor, as invented by Galileo Ferraris in Italy in 1885. The clock runs on 110V AC, 50 or 60 hz.
The movement was purchased recently on eBay and has been restored and sympathetically cased in a 4-glass French case of the period. This allows for excellent viewing of the moving parts, especially the front mounted platform escapement and the rear mounted Ferraris motor.
Numbered 596 I wonder how many were made and how many survived.

 

[Hans Vrolijk]

My Marti is number 215. No striking.
This type of electric clock is rather rare I think, even in Europe. The Swiss factory "Zenith" also made clocks with a Ferraris winding motor.
The disc, rotating in electricity meters, is part of a Ferraris motor, driving the numbers of the meter.

 

[fixoclock]

Hans,
It is quite evident that the plates used in your clock have provision for the strike train.

Either they were never put in or they have been removed in the life of the clock.
A nice Art Deco example of clocks I have never heard of or seen.

Thanks for posting your clock.
Lindsay.

 

[Burkhard Rasch]

Thanks for sharing these verry intersting clocks,and Lindsay:Congrats to the "creation " of this nice and -stylistic-coherent clock.Verry well done resto.I admire those who have a crystal regulator case in their scrappbox
Burkhard