Early pendulum clock by Salomon Coster, c.1657
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1657-1659
This early pendulum clock, dating to approximately 1657–1659 and reported as made in The Hague, is catalogued by the Science Museum Group under makers Salomon Coster and Christiaan Huygens.
Housed in a dark rectangular ebonised case equipped with two top suspension rings, the instrument features an outer glazed hinged door and an inner hinged dial plate. Opening the inner plate exposes the brass mechanical movement, spring barrel, wheelwork, and a slender vertical pendulum with a small bob. A detached winding key accompanies the clock.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Pendulum wall clock
- Date Range
- 1657-1659
- Place recorded
- The Hague
- Place of Origin
- The Hague
- Maker Attribution
- Salomon Coster and Christiaan Huygens
- Maker / attribution
- Salomon Coster and Christiaan Huygens
Design
- Visible features
- • Dark ebonised rectangular wooden case with two circular suspension rings mounted on top. • Glazed outer front door swung fully open to the left. • Hinged inner dial plate opened slightly forward to reveal the brass movement cage, barrel, and gearing from the side. • Slender vertical pendulum suspended behind the movement with a spherical bob near the base. • Detached winding key resting on the surface in front of the open case door.
- Institutional Identity and Attribution
- The Science Museum Group catalogues the object under the title 'Early pendulum clock by Salomon Coster, c.1657.' Institutional records date the manufacture to 1657–1659 and state that it was made in The Hague. The makers are listed as Salomon Coster and Christiaan Huygens. Contextual explanations of Huygens's specific design input or broader historical developments in the Netherlands are not detailed in the provided museum record snippet.
- Case Structure and Observed Arrangement
- Direct visual inspection shows a dark ebonised rectangular wooden case fitted with two circular suspension rings mounted on top. The outer glazed front door is swung fully open to the left. An inner dial plate is mounted on hinges and swung slightly forward, permitting a view into the interior mechanism from an angle. On the surface directly in front of the open front door rests a detached winding key.
- Visible Mechanism and Inspection Limits
- The open arrangement reveals a brass movement cage, spring barrel, and gearing seen from the side. Suspended behind the movement is a slender vertical pendulum terminating in a spherical bob near the base of the case. Owing to the oblique viewing angle, any inscriptions, chapter rings, or markings on the dial face are not legible. Specific escapement design, cycloidal cheeks, or later mechanical alterations are not recorded in this source snippet.
Identification
- Reference
- co1031
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Dial face and inscriptions cannot be directly read from this angled perspective.
- Research required: Movement escapement details and modifications are not detailed in the source snippet.