Pendules d'Officier

le Cappuccine

le piccole Pendole da tavolo per gli Ufficiali di Napoleone Bonaparte

a cura di Francesco Mian

il grande Napoleone amava dire

"il nemico si batte sul tempo, potrei perdere una battaglia ma non perderò mai un minuto." 

Questi orologi da tavolo sono chiamati più comunemente "Pendule pour officier" (pendola per ufficiali). Tale denominazione nasce dal fatto che Napoleone Bonaparte stanco di veder arrivare i propri ufficiali sempre in ritardo sentì la necessità di dotarli di una pendoletta che li accompagnasse nelle campagne militari in giro per l'Europa. A tale scopo, Napoleone, ordinò a vari maestri orologiai un orologio dall'aspetto molto robusto, di forma squadrata, dal quadrante in smalto bianco e sormontato da una forte impugnatura.

A seguito di questa perentoria richiesta nella zona di Montbeliard, dipartimento di Doubos, non lontano dal confine svizzero, In seguito la manifattura l'Epée iniziò la produzione anche di altri vari modelli tra i quali i preziosi "mignon" che riproducevano in piccolo le forme delle grandi cappuccine; questi piccoli gioielli ebbero un successo superiore rispetto alle prime produzioni poichè la manifattura comportava delle soluzioni tecniche difficilissime e quindi molto apprezzate da tutti gli amatori di pendole meccaniche.Già dopo trent'anni dalla nascita, la manifattura L'Epée, impiegava trecento persone e vinceva numerosi premi nelle varie esposizioni internazionali per l'elevato livello tecnico e la raffinatezza estetica completata dai bellissimi cristalli frontali, laterali e posteriori della cristalleria francese di Baccarat. Nel corso degli anni i modelli aumentarono e si arricchirono delle nuove conoscenze con le lancette dei giorni, del mese, delle fasi lunari, con il pendolo al mercurio e con rifiniture in pietre dure, smalti cloisonné e metalli preziosi al posto dell'ottone lucido.sorsero numerose manifatture di orologi e tra queste la l'Epée che fu fondata nel 1839 da Auguste L' Epée. Inizialmente la fabbrica si limitò a produrre un solo modello come quello riportato nella foto con il pulsante del richiamo dell'ora: Premendo con la mano il richiamo dell'ora si aveva la possibilità di conoscere, nell'arco di sessanta minuti, l'ora trascorsa e già suonata; con questo congegno Napoleone si assicurava la precisione di arrivo dei suoi ufficiali con il massimo ritardo di un'ora.

Oggi avere in casa una pendoletta originale l'Epée è avere un rarissimo gioiello in quanto questa manifattura ha definitivamente chiuso i propri laboratori nel 1990 vendendo, nel 2008 , i brevetti ad una società inglese , brevetti rivenduti nel 2012 ad una società svizzera. 

dal sito  www.lepee-clock

HISTORY

A True manufacture since 1839

Auguste l’Epée acquired the buildings of “La ferme du Prince” in Sainte-Suzanne, near Besançon / France and founded his own Clock and Music Box workshops on 1st August 1839. All parts were entirely made by hand, which is why the firm became known in the region as the “Manufacture l’Epée”.                

The leader of the Escapement :

Auguste L’Epée launched in 1850 the production of the “platform escapements” that represented a major step in the development and the prestige of the company.

L’Epée provided its “platform escapement” to the high range of table clocks. This workshop expanded rapidly from 1855. L’Epée began making all kinds of varieties of escapements designed to equip alarm clocks, table clocks and musical watches. This endeavour proved so successful that annual production amounted to 24,000 such platform escapements by 1877.

The mechanical platform escapement replaced the pendulum escapement. This created the possibility of a travel clock that would still work during journeys. 

The regulating organ of a mechanical movement consists of an escapement wheel and pallets. The development and production of that major part requires an expert workforce. The manufacturing shifted from craft to mechanised production. The first produced platform escapements on an industrial scale, were cylinder escapements. When pallets escapements were asked for by customers, l’Epée created the pallet escapement “de côté” for interchangeability reasons with the cylinder. This breakthrough gave L’Epée a great reputation in escapements and consequently notorious watchmakers asked the company for special escapements. Some of them are described below: 

“Anti-rebattement”

This platform escapement is secured in modifying the balance frequency. Its knocking means a strong acceleration of the balance frequency. For that the limitation pins which limit the angles traveled by the pallets, have been replaced by specially designed springs. The pallets’ horns have been modified according to the following sketch: 

 “Auto-démarrant”

This platform escapement has been invented to meet a specific requirement and deliver full reliability at the start-up and a security against damage risks when the engine torque decrea-ses rapidly. As shown in the sketch (point 7), a magnet is placed between two iron branches numbered 8 & 9. The extremities are positioned in front of the toothed escapement wheel. By their magnetic action, the wheel teeth at rest are stopped so that no tooth can touch the pallets 4 when the engine torque stops suddenly. Thus the balance when oscillating a few seconds causes the alternative switching of the pallets which have been driven by the pin 6 linked to the balance.

  "Force constante”

To face the important variations of the engine torque and to ensure a qualitative amplitude of oscillation for the balance, the constant-force escapement has been developed. Its principle is based on the absorption of excessive power by force of inertia to overcome. The motor impulse is provided by a small spring that provides auxiliary force to the escapement wheel mounted on the pinion. A pin secured to the sprocket and the flywheel works the arms of the escapement wheel to limit the arc of winding of the auxiliary spring. 

A manufacture with a lot of prestigious awards:

The l’Epée Manufacture received prestigious gold awards at various international exhibitions: Paris in 1889 and 1900, Vienna in 1892, Hanoi in 1902 and also in the Americas and Great Britain.                

In 1994, L’Epée build up the giant regulator clock; The world largest (Guiness book records) clock with compensated pendulum ever build.

L’Epée may be the only factory in the world which could undertake as elaborate a project as this giant and unique clock. Its technical name is “Regulator with Compensated Pendulum”. It is 2.20 meters high and weighs 1.2 tons. Its mechanical movement alone weighs 120 kilos. This masterpiece required 2800 hours of work.

The clock was unveiled at Le Louvre in Paris. The clock has later on toured Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

 L’Epée, a prestigious history.

Throughout a lively history of nearly 200 years, L’Epée has been and continues to be at the forefront of horological technical achievements.

Many spectacular clocks have been developed and famous people have chosen a L’Epée clock for its high reputation. L’Epée clock is on the negotiation table of the most influence people throughout the world.

In 2010, L’Epée becomes the only Clock Manufacture on the market with a 46-jewel 40-day movement, a Double Retrograde second display and an animated logo which is the new theme to be used as the brand signature. L’Epée is more than ever active on top-quality mechanical movements stemming from a close alliance between its own hand-crafted production methods and the most advanced manufacturing techniques.   

In 2012, L’Epée goes further in its quest for perfection by launching a timepiece that covers the major horological complications on its well known 40-day movement. Therefore, L’Epée becomes the first Clock Manufacture on the market with a 46-jewel 40-day movement, a Tourbillon Caroussel, a Double Retrograde second display and an animated logo which is the new theme to be used as the brand signature.