“What’s one of the most interesting things you have in the shop?” I hear you ask. Well, I’ll tell you. (Ok, maybe you didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway…)
Enter (to tremendous fanfare and applause) the Comitti Meridian clock.
My initial impression was that of a very cleanly designed, sleek looking clock with a beautifully engineered visible escapement, but it actually took quite a long time before I went back to it and realised the immense significance of this deceptively simple piece. The first thing I hadn’t really taken on board at first is that this is a mechanical clock which runs for over a year on one wind, which is amazing considering clocks commonly run for a week before they need winding. This is achieved by an automatic winding mechanism, so once the spring gets below a certain threshold, a small electronic motor winds it back up again, the charge pack for which will run for over 12 months. The benefit of this is increased accuracy, as the amount of motive force acting on the escapement is relatively constant (a tightly coiled spring will cause the movement to speed up and a loose spring will cause it to slow down). The manufacturers claim it can be fine tuned to as little as half a second per day.
The second fascinating thing is the escapement itself, which was inspired by famous English watchmaker Dr George Daniels’ co-axial escapement, patented in 1980. This very clever and groundbreaking mechanism can run with little to no lubrication, and thus greatly increases service intervals and accuracy. The whole escapement is clearly visible through the stylish curved glass case and beautifully finished with rhodium plating. The bottom of the case is set with a line of carbon fibre to give it a truly modern feel. It also has a clearly audible tick, which is probably not a feature per se, but I like mechanical clocks to sound the part…
This fantastic piece is on display at our Norwich store, at a RRP of £12,500. Please feel free to come and see (and hear!) it.
Ian Palmer – June 2018
