Original Listing Description

HistoryVery little made it thru the WWII attacks on Konigsberg, Germany. First the shelling from the Royal Air Force inn August of 1944 and then by Soviet shelling in April of 1945. This one of a kind, Master Bardon clock, with a Konigsberg Seewarte seal somehow survived. Whether it was sheltered in the underground German bunkers or in the partial remains of the Konigsberg Observatory it did survive. The Observatory, a semi-circular two story research and observation facility with a brick vault (considered a regional architectural monument) is related to the clock via the Seewarte engraving on the clock seal."Seewarte" loosely translates as Naval Observatory or Oceanic Observatory or it could also be referring to the Atlantic Meteor voyage which mapped the ocean floor with the first sonic equipment and included the Konigsberg area in 1925-1927. The seal on this clock is also engraved Conigsberg, as it was first spelled for a period following the locations inception in 1843 as a mere Prussian settlement called Twangste.A piece of history from a location rich in history. Hitler had envisioned Konigsberg as a museum for everything the Germans had found in Russia Following the end of WWII and the Potsdam Agreement, Konigsberg, Germany became part of the Soviet Union (now Russia) and has remained so ever since. The Soviet Union renamed Konigsberg to Koliningrad. Today Konigsberg is of world interest as a Russian held area that is separated from the rest of Russia by two NATO countries. The situation with Ukraine makes this Russian held area of interest. Russia is most likely where this clock was purchased.Otto Pratje worked at the Konigsberg University with his chief study the geology of sea beds and he participated in the Meteor Atlantic expedition 1925-1926 eminating from Konigsberg. In 1937 he was appointed to establish and direct marine geological section of the Deutshe Seewarte at Hamburg. Both seafaring ventures produced official topographic and administrative maps of Germanys waters. Many dead underwater volcano's rising 1000 ft high in the ocean were identified for the first time with their 1st generation sonar equipment.Clock MechanicsThis Bardon Master clock appears to be one of a kind. Back is marble. Hangs at 52-1/2" long and 12" wide and 7 " deep.This is a battery run master clock with pendulum. Most likely from the Observatory in Koliningrad Konigsberg per the Seewarte seal on the front. Clocks by Bardon, Brillie and Vaucanson all embody similar principles. The coil is in the base. Extremely rare. Made in Clichy, France. Located at Etablissments bardon at the Societe Anonyme de Construction Electrique et Mechanique during the production years 1920-1925. Bardon hanging battery electromagnetic clock with oak case Bardon, Clichy. Charles Edouard GuillaumeThe Nobel Prize in Physics 1920 Precise measurement plays an important role in science. To provide a basis for precise measurements, the metric system and a German legal meter were instituted to define lengths. However, different materials expand differently when temperatures change, which limits the ability to make very precise measurements. In 1896 Charles-Edouard Guillaume succeeded in finding an alloy of nickel and steel that registered almost no change in length and volume as a result of temperature changes. The invar nickel-steel alloy had a significant effect on scientific instruments and incandescent light bulbs and was used in this clock.If you need this item shipped, that would be undertaken on your end. Your shipper would need to pack item and pick it up. If you are willing to make those arrangements it is an option for shipping. (Condition: Pre-Owned)

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for clocks collectors and appraisers.