Leonardo devoted great interest to the study of mechanical clocks and their components, in search of a device capable of accurately scanning time. This model replicates the mechanism regulating the descending speed of the weight inside a clock, a device that Leonardo and his contemporaries called the tempo, literally, “time.” Today this device is referred to as the escapement.
The descending weights communicate movement to two identical orders of toothed wheels and pinions, which transmit their movement to the gears of the escapement situated in the upper part of the device. Here a movable rod balance wheel in the form of a sector of a circle alternately meshes with the teeth of the system of pegged wheels, allowing them to advance intermittently, to mark the passage of time. Leonardo also used the flywheel as a regulator: a rotating axle fitted with vanes in order to make use of air resistance.
Technical informations
Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Material
Carved wood, cotton rope, iron, brass
Measures
Width: 110.5 cm, Length: 35.5 cm, Depth: 45 cm
Storage location
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 964 r
Inventory number
Object Record No.: 00000007
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Last update: 22 September 2025, 09:17