Weston Electrical Instrument Company, 1907; William Solnik collection.
Overview
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Sigmund Riefler was the de-facto manufacturer of precision timekeepers for astronomical observatories. His design incorporates an Invar pendulum, double wheel escapement and an electrically reset remontoire protected within a sealed glass tank. Impulses are given to the pendulum through the suspension spring. Riefler clocks had a stated rate of less than 30 milliseconds per day, and manufacture continued until 1965. The Clockworks collection also includes a Riefler ‘transport’ model designed for use onsite (TCW 1044).
This is Riefler’s precision regulator no. 147, originally acquired in 1907 by the Weston Electrical Instrument Company directly from Clemens Riefler. During this period of its life, it was installed in a magnetically shielded temperature-controlled chamber, and transmitted seconds impulses to control the speed of the factory generator. It was acquired for The Clockworks with the William Scolnik collection in 2011.
