Antide Janvier
Encyclopedia
Antide Janvier was a French clockmaker
.
He was born in a village in the Jura, and learned the basics of his trade from his father, and was educated in Latin
, Greek
, mathematics
and astronomy
by a local abbé. At age 15 he built an astronomical sphere which he presented to the Academy of Sciences of Besançon
, which won him wide admiration, and he began his career as an apprentice watchmaker.
He gained a reputation as a maker of ingenious and complicated clocks, including many astronomical clock
s and clocks showing the tides. He was also famous for his "double pendulum clocks", also called "Resonance clocks", which he was the first to make. He eventually became Louis XVI
's royal clockmaker. After the French Revolution
he spent time in prison because of this royal association and then fell on hard times; his hardships were increased by the death of his wife in 1792. He sold his watches and equipment and designs to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who sold watches under his own name. Following the restoration of the monarchy under Charles X
, he was awarded a small pension beginning in 1826, but died in poverty and obscurity.
The largest concentration of his masterworks open to the public is found at the Musée Paul Dupuy in Toulouse
.
He authored and published an important textbook on the theory and practice of watchnaking: Manuel Chronometrique ou precis de ce qui concerne le temps, ses divisions, ses mesures, leurs usages, etc., Published 1821 by Didot, Paris (267 pages, Frontispiece and 5 engraved foldout plates).
He also produced a written account of 12 of his very original timekeepers, which was published 1827 under the title "Receuil des Machines composees et executees par Antide Janvier", which has been reissued 1995 in facsimile format by publisher "L'image du Temps" (56 pages).
Clockmaker
A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches...
.
He was born in a village in the Jura, and learned the basics of his trade from his father, and was educated in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
by a local abbé. At age 15 he built an astronomical sphere which he presented to the Academy of Sciences of Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, which won him wide admiration, and he began his career as an apprentice watchmaker.
He gained a reputation as a maker of ingenious and complicated clocks, including many astronomical clock
Astronomical clock
An astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.-Definition:...
s and clocks showing the tides. He was also famous for his "double pendulum clocks", also called "Resonance clocks", which he was the first to make. He eventually became Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
's royal clockmaker. After the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
he spent time in prison because of this royal association and then fell on hard times; his hardships were increased by the death of his wife in 1792. He sold his watches and equipment and designs to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who sold watches under his own name. Following the restoration of the monarchy under Charles X
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
, he was awarded a small pension beginning in 1826, but died in poverty and obscurity.
The largest concentration of his masterworks open to the public is found at the Musée Paul Dupuy in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
He authored and published an important textbook on the theory and practice of watchnaking: Manuel Chronometrique ou precis de ce qui concerne le temps, ses divisions, ses mesures, leurs usages, etc., Published 1821 by Didot, Paris (267 pages, Frontispiece and 5 engraved foldout plates).
He also produced a written account of 12 of his very original timekeepers, which was published 1827 under the title "Receuil des Machines composees et executees par Antide Janvier", which has been reissued 1995 in facsimile format by publisher "L'image du Temps" (56 pages).
Books
- Antide Janvier, Celestial clockmaker by Michel Hayard, 1995.
- Antide Janvier, Celestial clockmaker by Michel Hayard, 2010 - Second edition completed and enlarged.