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| During the 18th century Dutch astronomical clocks attained a high level. Apart from the lunar phases they often indicated the relative position of the stars and sometimes that of the planets. |
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| 1750-1755: Astronomical clocks by Bramer, Knip, Ratsma and Starre |
Amsterdam and Friesland were the prevailing centres of the astronomical clock. The highlights included a planetarium movement by Dames Starre of Hoorn (coll. Boerhaave Museum), longcase clocks with planispherium movements by Paulus Bramer, Amsterdam (coll. Vehmeyer), Willem Koster, Amsterdam, Gerrit Knip, Amsterdam (coll. Rembrandt Society; Museum of the Dutch Clock, Zaandam), Rutgerus van Meurs, Amsterdam, Anthony van Oostrom, Amsterdam (Instituut Collectie Nederland), Klaas Johannes Andriese, Grouw, Teunis Haakma, Leeuwarden and Tjeerd Jacobs Ratsma, Harlingen. A planetarium movement shows the relative position of the planets exept Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (which were not yet known in the mid 17 hundreds). A planispherium clock shows the optical positions of the star signs as seen from the earth. Moreover the planispherium clock by Knip has a for indicating local time in seventeen locations around the world. Such clocks were evocative of international shipping under the flags of the Dutch East India Company and Dutch West India Company.
Sources: J. Zeeman: De Nederlandse staande klok (Assen/Amsterdam 1977; H. Terpstra: Friesche Sterrekonst (Franeker 1981); H. van de Kamp: 'Verleden tijd': Vier eeuwen Friese uurwerken (Franeker 1990; C.A. Grimbergen: The evolution of the Dutch clock (Zaandam 1991); H.M. Vehmeyer: Antieke uurwerken: Een famileverzameling (Houten 1994); E.L. Edwardes: Weight-Driven Dutch Clocks & their Japanese Connections (Mayfield 1996)
Illustrations:
1) Knip planispherium clock (Rembrandt Society)
2) Knip loncase clock (Rembrandt Society)
3) Knip movement (Rembrandt Society)
1882
1768: 'Kortstaart' by B. Haanstra
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