07/13/2017
One of the reasons I enjoy working on clocks so much is that I get to not only see, but many times dissect and rebuild the concepts and designs that were, in their time, considered cutting-edge technology. This is a turn of the century 1890’s Prentiss perpetual calendar clock. What a fantastic piece! For the day display, there are 16 day-plates that go around like a ferris wheel. The clock movement trips the lever at the top once a day triggering this segment. The next day-plate drops down and a driven gear assembly causes the day of the week wheel on the top to advance. A same gear assembly also determines a 28, 29, 30 or 31-day month and controls when the movement should stop. For those months less than 31 days, the assembly allows the movement to continue until the right day is reached. An excellent display of ingenuity. While a great idea and some fantastic engineering, it was an idea to be improved upon. Eventually, someone determined that splitting the plates in half and using rails instead of wires produced fewer mishaps as the plates dropped providing a better solution. Just as these Clockmakers knew they were bringing something new to the table, they also realized others would eventually make improvements on their ideas. It is this constant drive that has gotten our technology and world where it is today. Just one other way clocks remind us of where we have been and how far we have come.
