20 0ctober 1810

1890

Paris

Paris

2/2 19th century

Paris

An horloger-mécanicien, the son of a clockmaker, Detouche studied in Geneva and London before succeeding to his father's business in the rue St Martin in 1830. He took out various patents for horological innovations (see list below). With Robert Houdin he exhibited at the London 1851 exhibition. He made a number of astronomical instruments including Guenal's patent 'appareil uranographique', a form of projection tellurium (1). He realised, for Julien Meirieu, bishop of Digne, his astrogoniomètre, a re-invention of the universal astrolabe. Detouche maintained friendly relations with Meirieu who made observations on a chronometer by him and identified the cause of a minor irregularity that it displayed (2). For the Universal Exhibition of 1855 Detouche designed and made a turn-style which was adopted for the exhibition and for that of 1867 but not used for that of 1878. The chagrin this caused provoked Detouche's chef d'atelier d'horlogerie to address a reclamation in verse to J.-B. Krantz the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce responsable for the International Exhibition (3). It was however in use on the race-course of Maisons Laffitte. In 1857 Detouche was awarded a silver medal by the Société d'Encouragement for his new repeating striking work for public clocks (4), and was awarded a gold medal at the 1860 Universal Horological Exhibition. Although the primary focus of the company was on the manufacture of high precision public clocks, lightning conductors, astronomical models and regulators, wind-vanes, mechanical roasting jacks, and metronomes were also listed in company promotional literature. IN the mid-century Detouche was employing some two hundred workmen. The clock which controlled the functioning of Secchi's meteorograph was made by Detouche and this was shown in the 1867 universal exhibition. Detouche was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1853. The workshops in the Rue St Martin were steam-powered by at least 1878. From 1871-79, Detouche was mayor of Villemomble (5)..

1 See Guenal's pamphlet BN V. 5895.
2 A. Richaud, Monseigneur Meiirieu, évêcque de Digne, sa vie et son œuvre, Avignon n.d. [1914], 112 and for the astrogoniomètre, 111 n.1. For the only known example see Turner 125, no 7.
3 [A. Cros], Humble requète présenté à Monsieur J.-B. Krantz … par le tourniquet-compteur, 3rd edition Paris [1878]. The poem takes up only 12 pages of the pamphlet which, published by Detouche, includes a catalogue of the company's products and an history of horology in verse, also by Cros, which is dedicated to Detouche.
4. L' Année scientifique i, 1857, 473. See St le. Tourneur in D. B. Fr ix, 151-52 & Lauzac.
5
↑ « Les Maires de Villemomble . . » [archive], Histoire mémoire et patrimoine, sur http://www.villemomble.fr

Edited the 3rd edition of Claudius Saunier, Traité d'horlogerie moderne, théorique et pratique, Paris 1887.

1830-90 r. St. Martin, Paris (Tardy)

Réveil à touches mobiles 30.12. 1844, France

Pendule électro-magnétique, 26.2. 1852, France

Système de suspension des balanciers des pendules d'horlogerie, 5..8. 1852, France

Nouveau mécanisme de sonnerie applicable aux pendules et horloges, 22. 7. 1852, France

Cadrans électrique appliqués aux lanternes de gaz de la ville, 24.5. 1856, France

Perfectionnements dans l' éclairage ddes heures de nuit sur les caderans d'horloge, 13. 4. 1864, France

Système d'horloges et pendules dites magnétiques et de transmission de movements sans emploi des roues d'angles, 2. 7. 1865, France

Dispositions de réveil de poche à enveloppe sphérique, 16. 2. 1865, France.

1510

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