The only magic show of its kind in Paris
A tribute to Paris and the french spirit In the span of a « Soirée fantastique », Laurent Beretta revives the prestige and inventiveness of
Robert-Houdin was a prolific clockmaker, entrepreneur and scientist
Settled in Paris in 1830, Robert-Houdin became known for the ingenious manufacture of several automatons and machines of his invention. Throughout his life, he collected awards, patents and medals at exhibitions: 1st class bronze, silver and gold medals at the 1839, 1844, 1855 and 1859 exhibitions. Robert-Houdin‘s first great commercial success came with the alarm-clock-lighter, in 1837. Utilitarian, artistic and high-end, this innovative alarm clock provided light while waking up !
But it is through his Mysterious Clocks that Robert-Houdin will reveal all his talent as a clockmaker and illusionist, from 1839. The model of clock known as “triple mystery”, is the perfect expression of Robert-Houdin’s talent as an illusionist.
First mystery : on the glass dial, the two hands seem to turn as if by magic, without any mechanical link visible to the eye.
Second mystery : the dial is supported by a crystal column without any apparent transmission.
Third mystery : the clockwork hidden in the base of the clock has no mechanical link with the whole, the reason being that the control between the mobile tube and the motor is hidden in one of the three chimeras.
This dial, perched atop a perfectly transparent crystal column and devoid of any cogs, became a real object of fascination for all mystery lovers in search of novelty. It was so successful that this technical feat was again presented at the 1900 Universal Exhibition.
This virtuosity will inspire the designer Louis Cartier, grandson of the founder of the House
In 1912, the watchmaker Maurice Couët, exclusively for Cartier, designed the Model A, a crystal parallelepiped. Requiring several months of very patient work, often sumptuously prepared by the jeweler, the mysterious clocks remain exceptional pieces in the production of the Cartier House. These creations are a technical and aesthetic tour de force in the history of the House and the decorative arts. The first model was created in 1912 and their production has never stopped since.
It is also in homage to the inventive genius of Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin that Louis Vuitton has created its Tambour Mystérieuse watch. A watch with complications that manage to completely conceal its own mechanism. An exclusive watch created in 2009, inspired by Robert Houdin’s triple mystery clock.
The Tambour Mystérieuse watch by Louis Vuitton combines the extravagant imagination of the French trunk maker with the tradition of the greatest manufacturers. With its rare ingenuity, this light and airy timepiece reinvents the concept of watchmaking magic. Playing on a prodigious system of transparent sapphire disks where the hands are fixed, the eye is amazed by the visual absence of gears. The result: when observing this aerial dial, one has the impression that the watch is floating.
The genius of Robert-Houdin and the subtle complexity of his watchmaking creations have inspired the greatest luxury brands with contemporary, mythical creations. Robert-Houdin’s creations will never cease to be reinterpreted because they are the very essence of the French spirit: subtle, refined and timeless.
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