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ON THE CLOCK After almost four years of effort, local company de Fossard, run by husband and wife duo George and Cornelia de Fossard, has launched a modern work of art that is the one-off Solar Time Clock. Bath-born George’s first workshop, which he set up in 2005, was on Walcot Street, Bath. He built all his clocks there – except for this latest one, which he built at workshops in Frome. The clockmaker – whose background is in the conservation and restoration of antique clocks – and carpenter Cornelia, have been toiling hard, and the result is a technological feat. It’s a clock so unusual that it is the first of its kind, George tells us, and it can be set for longitude and latitude, allowing it to tell the time virtually anywhere in the world. To complement this rarity, the phase of the moon indication is driven by an exceptionally accurate, complex and unusual compound worm mechanism – designed by the 18th-century English clockmaker Thomas Mudge – combined with de Fossard’s own mechanical invention, creating a thoroughly modern piece of horology. “The clock, which has 750 handmade parts, took over 5,000 hours to complete,” says Cornelia. “We never stopped to think about what we would do once it was finished.” The couple are now taking a rest before thinking of their next joint project. After being showcased at The Clockmakers’ Museum, London, the clock will be offered for public sale. The Solar Time Clock’s estimated price is £175,000; www.defossard.co.uk
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 107