JAQUEMART

Definition

A jaquemart is an automaton made of metal, generally shaped like a male or female figure, that strikes the hours with a hammer on a bell.

Origin and use

The jaquemart traditionally equips building clocks — belfries, bell towers, monumental clocks — where its visible display complements the sound function of the striking mechanism. The term refers to both the figure itself and the mechanism that animates it, synchronized with the striking of the hours.

Operation

The jaquemart’s raised arm is driven by the striking train itself: a cam or lever, linked to the mechanism that already drives the hammer striking the bell, transmits its motion to the figure’s articulated arm. The jaquemart is therefore not an autonomous device, but an animated external part that makes visible a movement already present in the striking mechanism.

Application in horology

The term is also, more rarely, applied to the chime of certain pocket watches, where a miniature automaton strikes the hour. This application remains marginal compared to classic striking mechanisms, since animating an articulated figure requires a space that is difficult to reconcile with the reduced volume of a watch.

Good to know

By tradition, the male figure of a jaquemart is named Martin and the female figure Martine.