The pendulum clock was invented in 1656 by the Dutch mathematician, astronomer, physicist and clockmaker Christiaan Huygens. Huygens was inspired by an idea of Galileo Galilei and his son, which they never successfully completed. Since their invention, pendulum clocks have been used in many households. Their free-swinging pendulum ensures precise timekeeping by setting the beat. As early as the 18th century, pendulum clocks indicated the time to within a tenth of a second.
Nowadays, pendulum clocks are usually operated with a quartz movement, so the pendulum is merely a visual highlight, but not relevant for timekeeping. In Erwin Sattler’s Aperia III, the skeletonized dial reveals the fascinating movement. Its incredible depth is created by various factors. The dial consists of five individually screwed and skeletonized parts, which are mounted on a rhodium-plated blind plate with maximum perforation. The radiating skeletonized front plate is in turn rhodium-plated in black and therefore significantly darker, so that it stands out not only to the front but also to the rear against the elaborately guilloché but again rhodium-plated back plate.
Without exception, all the components between the plates are lovingly finished. Manually executed cuts and polishes testify to the mastery of these crafts. The depth is perfected by the modern “Opus” case, with metal inlays in the cornices and an anti-reflective U-glass that allows an almost reflection-free 180° view of the movement.
A calendar displaying the date, day of the week and moon phase (hand-painted, of course, as with all masterpieces from the manufactory), a half-hour striking mechanism with repetition and stop options and the hand-polished and cambered hands complete the elegant appearance.
The little secrets that the Aperia III only shares with its owner are the door with an invisible magnetic catch and a flap discreetly integrated into the base for the storage weight and the winding crank of the month rotor.
In its entirety, the new Aperia III, limited to 65 pieces, is a real gem in any living room!
