The National
Watch and Clock Museum
Learning Center Gallery
"The Beeler Escapements"
The late Dr. Fred Beeler from Kalamazoo, Michigan, handmade a wide variety of clock escapement models, many of which he generously donated to the Museum. These one-of-a-kind devices chronicle some of the most important technological developments in the history of the mechanical clock. Each model reflects hundreds of hours of preparation and labor. Above the models are images reproduced from the Research Center's Special Collection holdings. Images were photographed from Antoine Thiot's traité de l'horlogerie, méchanique et pratique (1741) and Claudis Saunier's Guide-manual de l'hologer (1873). When at the Museum you can observe the escapement models closely and examine the variety of ways that power can be released, or "escape," in clockwork.
Click on images below for close-up and animation of escapements.
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