Complication · Striking & chiming
Jaquemart Automaton Striking Figures
Partially verifiedMechanical figures (jaquemarts) that strike a bell or gong with a hammer to mark the hours or quarters, functioning as an animated, decorative substitute for or accompaniment to an ordinary striking train's hammer.
Definition
Mechanical figures (jaquemarts) that strike a bell or gong with a hammer to mark the hours or quarters, functioning as an animated, decorative substitute for or accompaniment to an ordinary striking train's hammer.
Historical origin
A tradition traced to medieval European tower and church clocks from at least the fourteenth century, where figures (often armoured 'jacks' or wild men) struck bells visible to the public; the term 'jaquemart' (also 'jacquemart') is generally linked to this public clock tradition and was later adapted to smaller domestic table and mantel clocks and, occasionally, watches, particularly in French and Swiss decorative clockwork.
How it works
A jaquemart mechanism taps drive from the striking train at the same point an ordinary hammer would be lifted and released, but routes that motion through a linkage to an articulated figure holding a hammer or mallet, so the figure's arm visibly swings to strike a bell, gong, or anvil at each hour or quarter.
Because the figure itself is only a decorative extension of the striking hammer's action, the underlying count mechanism (commonly count-wheel or rack striking, see those entries) is unchanged; the added complexity lies in the linkage and pivots needed to animate the figure smoothly and reliably in time with the strike.
Some elaborate examples use several jaquemarts (for hours and quarters, or multiple figures striking in sequence) and additional automaton figures elsewhere on the clock unrelated to striking, which can make jaquemart clocks overlap in practice with more general automaton clockwork.
Pocket watch context
Rare in pocket watches; where used, jaquemart-style striking figures appear chiefly in a small number of elaborate automaton and novelty watches produced by Swiss and French specialist workshops (notably associated with the Geneva automaton and enamel trade) rather than as a mainstream complication.
Wristwatch context
Essentially absent from wristwatches historically, though a small number of modern high-complication maisons have revived jaquemart-style striking automaton figures as a novelty or artisanal display complication.
Clock context
Well documented in public tower and church clocks (where the figures are often life-sized or larger and highly visible) and in domestic table, mantel and bracket clocks, particularly French and Swiss decorative production, where jaquemart figures are typically smaller and more delicately modelled.
Identification
- One or more articulated figures positioned to strike a bell, gong or anvil, mechanically linked to the striking train rather than merely decorative
- Figure's arm or hammer moves in time with the audible strike, not independently
- Should be distinguished from purely decorative automaton figures with no mechanical connection to timekeeping or striking
Servicing notes
The added linkage and figure pivots are additional points of wear and potential jamming beyond the ordinary striking train; servicing should be undertaken by a clockmaker experienced with automaton linkages, since incorrect adjustment can cause the figure to strike out of time with the audible chime or to bind against the case.
General guidance only. Complicated mechanisms should be assessed and serviced by a qualified watchmaker or clockmaker specialist, not adjusted at home.
Diagram
Sources & references
- Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers
- General literature on medieval European tower clocks and the jaquemart tradition; comprehensive documentation of individual jaquemart makers is limited in sources consulted.
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.