Pi Fight

Dr Michael Hartl is proposing a movement in mathematical circles (no pun intended) that will mean a lot to Comitti engineers and designers or anyone with a vested interest in clock making and its inevitable concerns with radial trigonometry. Dr Hartl (an educator and former theoretical physicist) proposes the scrapping of pi in favour of a new constant symbolised by the Greek letter tau and which would be equal to 2 x pi. This measure fits more elegantly with the radian definition of circles rather than the conventional angular measure based on pi. The idea is that tau will simplify many areas of mathematics and engineering. Have a look at the BBC article for a deeper explanation of the concept: -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13906169

The Gitton Time Flow Clock

Here at Comitti Clocks we like to show you something just a little bit different from time to time and as we have a vested interest in artfully crafted engineering clocks such as our Congreve and Grasshopper models we do like to consider other novelty designs and concepts at times.

Bernard Gitton is a french physicist and artist who combines a fascination for liquid engineering with a love for novelty. He is well known within horological circles for his amazing and very entertaining Time Flow clocks.

The Gitton Time Flow clock has to be one of the most ingenious and inventive clocks built in the last 50 years. It does, in fact, embody quite a revolutionary principal and is a masterpiece of hydrodynamic engineering. Without going into too much detail (because it is mind boggling) the Time Flow functions on a principal of cascading syphons and vacuum locking and breaking that forms a system analogous to the escapement mechanism in a mechanical clock. The system takes its primary power from a pendulum which drives a pump. This concept of a pendulum driven hydrodynamic system with a very beautiful aesthetic has conferred a certain legendary status on this clock and consequently the original Time Flow is a highly collectable (and very valuable) item.



Time Flow iPhone app :)

Gitton is known for many other innovative hydrodynamic inventions not least his liquid 'logic' devices which are analogous to digital electronic circuits, such devices have been used to create an extraordinary water calculator that actually has the same functional principal as its electronic counterpart only using flows of water instead of electrons. Of course it is not quite as fast as the electronic version.

For those who are interested click the link below for more detailed information on the Time Flow principal including a very technical explanation of exactly how it works.

The Gitton Time Flow clock

The Time Flow antique clocks

New Coloured Chinoiserie Clocks

Here is a brief preview of our new coloured chinoiserie clocks. chinoiserie has been part of the Comitti repertoire since the company began more than hundred years ago. It is a traditional European craft form dating from the seventeenth century and largely pioneered in France. Essentially, a whimsical evocation of classical chinese arts and craft design married to the classic European renaissance style.


Comitti now offer three new chinoiserie clocks in red, green and blue to compliment our existing range on black lacquer. These high colour treatments are also an authentic chinoiserie finish or style. In fact, red was one of the most common base colours for traditional chinoiserie decoration.



The Comitti red Chinoiserie clock




The Comitti blue Chinoiserie clock




The Comitti green Chinoiserie clock

Our Clocks on YouTube

A new video demonstrating our Grasshopper and Congreve clocks along with others. This is a very good piece of work, shot in high quality, high definition video.

Harrison Precision Pendulum Clock

The BBC has recently broadcast a series of historical documentaries on Radio 4 entitled History of The World in One Hundred Objects. The series attempts to define the inventions or artifacts that have had a marked effect on the development of society, the evolution of science / engineering and ultimately defined aspects of modern life today. Obviously, the clock and time keeping is a very important aspect of this and a number of John Harrison’s inventions and patents have been cited in the documentary.

This is an interesting article about his Precision Pendulum Clock that became a vital time reference instrument, which played a significant role in maritime time keeping and navigation. In some ways it was a little like the base time atomic clocks of today.

BBC Harrison Precision Pendulum Clock

Why We Love Comitti Clocks

Comitti has had many delighted customers over the years and we thought we would include a few of the testimonials written for us by customers who
have had so much pleasure from their Comitti purchases.

Many of our correspondents describe how their clocks have provided a source of enchantment and interest. The comforting presence of a grandfather or grandmother clock is a theme that comes up fairly often too.

"Our Kensington gradfather clock arrived last week. It is absolutely beautiful! The mahogany pillars with brass caps I had requested are exactly how I wished them to be! He is now a British/Texan Clock. Very special indeed! We will always treasure him!
To you and everyone there, all our thanks! When we go by London we will come visit you."
Ana Morcate, Texas, USA

"It is very seldom that I write to a company thanking them for their service, but you compel me to act. My Trafalgar mahogany grandfather clock is absolutely perfect. I am over the moon. I only have praise for the person who installed it, very proficient and dedicated.
Ever since 1950 I always wanted a grandfather clock and now I have one.
Thank you very much for this splendid product."
Mr Salter, Surrey, UK

"This is to acknowledge the return of my clock.
Your service is very much appreciated and it is very pleasant to find a company that still believes in good customer service and I would have no hesitation, in the future, of recoomending your clocks."
R Cowx, Kent, UK

"I telephoned recently regarding a replacement key for a mantel clock. This has now been received and I would like to thank you very much for your kind attention and assistance in this matter.
It is reassuring to receive service such as this, which is most certainly a welcome change."
G West, Surrey, UK

"Just wanted you all to know how much I enjoy my grandfather clock which arrived today. It is the Admiral Nelson grandfather clock and is beautiful."
Joan Quigley, Massachusetts, USA

"We just wanted to convey our delight with our beautiful grandmother clock which was delivered and set up yesterday. I have always wanted to own a grandmother clock and it is everything I hoped it would be-and much more! It looks magnificent in its position in our hallway-in fact it looks as if it has been made especially for that particular space-and I just want to keep looking at it and listening to the chime! The skill of the craftsmen who made it is evident and I would be grateful if you could pass on our thanks and appreciation to them."
Mrs Tyson, Berkshire, UK


Just a handful of the many encouraging testimonials that we have received recently. Comitti are grateful for your feedback as we are a small and dedicated company and it is always interesting to know what our customers feel, and of course, we are always delighted to hear stories about how much pleasure our lovingly hand crafted clocks have brought into peoples lives.

British Railway Clocks

Great Western Railway Clock c1870

Here is an interesting site dedicated to antique British railway clocks. Some of the designs have strong similarities to the Comitti Victorian Wall Clock and others. Railway clocks are particularly popular with collectors and thematic designers not to mention railway enthusiasts and heritage railway organisations. You can see that many of the clocks employ a particularly robust design with very interesting and often quite stout hands to complement heavy and bold face markings; these also include 24 hour scales. The site has clocks from all of the major pre-nationalisation companies along with early British Railways designs.




The Comitti Victorian Wall Clock