Persée clock

“I’m not particularly handyman or meticulous and I have absolutely no skills in watchmaking beyond knowing how to wind my watch regularly.
So I was a little apprehensive about the reception of my clock and my ability to assemble it.
My fears were quickly dispelled, as the manual is clear and the assembly without any particular difficulty.
Assembling the clock requires a bit of dexterity and concentration, but no specific ability and it quickly turned out to be not only accessible but also interesting: I had no idea how a clockwork mechanism worked and between the assembly itself of this beautiful table clock and the very didactic explanations in the manual, I feel like I’ve really learned something while having a lot of fun.
The moment when you hear the ticking of the clock for the first time is a very special moment that alone was worth the ten hours of assembly: it is the moment when the inert object comes to life, when the heart of the clock starts beating, a truly moving moment.
The final object is particularly aesthetic and pleasing to the eye, and the fact that you have assembled it yourself creates a very unique relationship with the clock, our creation.
Allowing laymen to modestly touch the beauty of the art of watchmaking is a brilliant, intelligent, sensitive initiative, and I am absolutely delighted to have been able to experience it. “

“Passionate about watchmaking for many years, I got to know Maison Alcée last May.
Indeed, on the occasion of my 40th birthday, my wife was looking for a gift to mark the occasion.
My “briefing” was simple: to have a useful object that can be transmitted.
I also told him that I wanted to have a decorative timepiece.
In this field, the competition is tough…!
That’s when we discovered the clocks of the Maison Alcée!
These met all my criteria with one plus that makes them stand out from all the others: having to assemble this clock entirely on my own! A challenge that can be taken up with the greatest of pleasures! As soon as you unpack it, you enter the world of high-end watchmaking!
Everything is beautiful and beautifully presented.
We can’t wait to get to the clock assembly! I start by reading the little note slipped into the box (thank you Alcée for this delicate attention) then, I devour the first pages of the book and I notice that for my 40th birthday, Maison Alcée entrusts me with the number 40/500! It’s all in the detail and that’s clearly what makes all the difference! Then comes the editing! We prepare our space, we take out the tools and we put on the protections. We take a deep breath and we switch to the calm and peaceful world of watchmakers. We enter a bubble where, paradoxically, time no longer counts. We follow the assembly instructions which could not be clearer. Everything is indeed described to perfection. Any hesitation? We take our tablet and reassure ourselves by watching the video of the phase that concerns us. Still have a question? No problem, everything is set up! Just send a message on a group specially created for you and your questions.
No prior watchmaking or mechanical knowledge is required!
On the contrary, the less you know, the more you discover this universe.
Don’t forget to take watch breaks.
In addition to taking your mind off things a little, you will learn many things about this exciting universe!
The hours go by and the clock takes shape.
What a pride to hear the first “tick-tocks” as well as the first “ding” of the clock!
We turn the last page of the book and we observe our creation! That’s it, it’s already over! If this was not the case before, you are now contaminated by the Fine Watchmaking virus! It is rare to find a box and clock of such good quality. The choice of materials and the quality of the tools is impressive. The service is there and the result exceeds all expectations! I can’t say it enough, thank you Maison Alcée! Good luck to you, your selection at the GPHG is fully deserved. “

“I am a teacher at the University of Franche-Comté.
I teach mechanics and as such, I have been curious and interested in microtechnology and watchmaking for a few years.
I discovered Maison Alcée through my watchmaking news.
I had the opportunity to identify this original project which immediately interested me because I find that the shared experience is enriching.
It’s not just about technology, it’s mostly about people.
You present an educational approach, a solution that is sustainable and reliable.
A clock that will obviously age well since we are talking about the historical watchmaking know-how used for decades.
Clocks of this type are made in the Jura massif.
In addition to owning the simple watchmaking object, you offer the buyer an experience.
I bought more of the experience than the simple clock as an object in order to share it with my students.
These are students in mechanical training who are destined for industry, so we train in a transversal way in the fundamentals of engineering, rather mechanical engineering and production science.
It seemed interesting to me to bring some introductory watchmaking skills to my students.
I was already doing initiations on watch movements, but they are so small that students have trouble appropriating them.
It’s difficult to share an experience on a watch because you have an individual immersion.
Everyone has their magnifying glass and there is no room to put two magnifying glasses around a movement, so we have to use cameras, digital technology and thus, we are no longer in the real world.
As soon as the opportunity arose, I started assembling the clock and I did it twice: half a morning and half an afternoon.
Take advantage of the moment to make the pleasure last a little… The installation of the balance wheel was the magic moment!
We are waiting to see the energy that evolves from the main barrel to this regulator, to this oscillator.
It was the moment of emotion because as soon as the ticking that was heard, I was able to savor the sound of its resonance on the beech workbench.
These are emotions that are pleasant.
I started the clock assembly relaxed, calm.
I’ve been waiting for it for a while!
I found the experience of the magnifying glass interesting on rather large pieces also because you can look in detail.
For example, when you come to lubricate, you bring this drop of oil with the oil spike.
It’s extremely interesting to take the time, to watch it go into the meniscus, something you don’t see as much on a watch.
I would recommend this experience to anyone who likes to be in their bubble, as if cut off from the world.
It allows you to really discover watchmaking mechanics, to get a foot in the door of this world and to understand what goes on in watch movements, but on a much larger scale.
This allows you to take ownership of the efforts. For example, when you wind a small watch crown with your fingertips with a small barrel spring, the feeling is not the same as when you take this key. The phenomena are better understood. There is energy and we know where it comes from. Getting to know how a watch works is fascinating. We talk about a desk clock here because it is a clock that has all the components of a watch. We are lucky to be able to live this experience and to make our own creation, our own clock. There are things to do to share this experience with an extremely wide audience from 7 to 60, I would even say 97 years old! The clock will work now for a few decades so thank you… And bravo! “