Mechanical Clock Escapement

Type Object Region Worldwide Time 1431

Escapement systems in early 15th-century European mechanical clocks regulating the release of mainspring or weight-driven energy, typified by the cro…

Timeline

c. 1431–1433Paris · ParisClockmakers' workshops in Paris and surrounding areas standardized the tooth forms and pivot clearances of the verge and foliot escapement, reducing energy loss and improving consistency of striking.
c. 1434–1436Southern Germany · BavariaClock towers in South German towns controlled the beat by adjusting foliot weights and the position of the escapement pallets, reducing daily error and making public timekeeping more trusted by citizens.
c. 1437–1439Northern Italy · LombardyWorkshops in Milan, Venice, and elsewhere scaled down and adapted improved escapements for table clocks and travel clocks, meeting nobles' and merchants' demand for portable timekeeping.
c. 1440Europe · EuropeEscapement adjustment experience spread among continental workshops through guild oral transmission and illustrated manuscripts, laying groundwork for more precise escapements and mainspring barrel improvements in the 16th century.

Sources

Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World — Landes, David S. (1983)
A History of Mechanical Inventions — Usher, Abbott Payson (1954)