Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock type · Specialist

Falling Ball Clocks

Partially verified

Clocks that descend slowly along a chain or rack, using their own weight as the power source.

Movement & mechanism

  • The weight of the clock case powers the movement
  • A gear train is driven by a pinion engaging a fixed rack or chain
  • Usually regulated by a balance or small pendulum

Identification

  • Clock case appears to 'float' or hang on a chain/rack
  • No visible winding hole (winding occurs by sliding the clock back up)
  • Often spherical or drum-shaped

Terminology

  • Rack clock
  • Gravity clock
  • Chain clock

Known variations

  • Spherical, cylindrical and rectangular versions

Collecting notes

Condition and originality are paramount. For technical clocks like regulators or atmospheric clocks, the completeness of the original mechanism is more important than case condition. For decorative clocks (Boulle, Empire), the quality of the case craft is central.

Related photographs

Mystery clock - Cartier (39600552471)
Mystery clock - Cartier (39600552471) — Tim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. Wikimedia Commons file page

No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.

Sources & references

  1. Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers
  2. Loomes, B., The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain
  3. Roberts, D., British Skeleton Clocks
  4. Museum catalogue records

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.