Our watch of the week is the Antique HOME 50335
vintage wall clock. It stands out thanks to its distinctive construction and dial. This features an open balance wheel motif. Learn more in this post about our watch of the week, as well as the open balance wheel motif.
The special feature of the open balance wheel
Balance wheel is the short term for a balance-spring oscillating system, as used in many mechanical watch movements. The oscillating system serves as a rate regulator for small timepieces, above all for
wristwatches and pocket watches, but also for alarm clocks, wall clocks, chronometers, etc. The predecessor of the balance wheel was the verge escapement. The balance wheel oscillates around its axis with a certain oscillation period or frequency, which is determined by the two pivots. In conjunction with the escapement, it ensures the alternating step-by-step stopping and release of the gear train, which is driven by the watch's power source. The step-by-step movement is shown by a hand mechanism connected to the gear train. The idea of using the balance wheel together with a hairspring was developed by Christiaan Huygens based on a proposal by Jean de Hautefeuille; in 1675, he was granted a French patent for it.
Our Antique HOME 50335
Our watch of the week, the Antique HOME 50335, does not actually show the automatic movement with an open balance wheel, but rather a motif that suggests an open balance wheel. Our Antique Home clock is a quartz clock with a glass case and black metal. It is 40.5 cm high and 6.5 cm deep. The frame is a wide black metal frame with a decoration at the top that recreates the look of a pocket watch, but otherwise serves no further function. The dial of this antique-look clock is kept in black and gray and features an open balance wheel as well as black Roman numerals. The hands of the clock are also black. The open balance wheel motif creates a certain depth within the clock's dial. A real eye-catcher!
