This is my great grandfathers clock that we got around 10 years ago as when he passed away. It is one of the few things my dad got and he’s been trying to find the numbers for this. As the 8 has fallen off and all the numbers ontop for the month and moon clock are all gone. If I need to share more I can but it’s a ridgeway and the manual we have doesn’t say model number or serial number.

I can't find much online about this company or clock, anyone know anything!? Thanks!

The clock was purchased from a family friend/antique dealer in the late 1960s. The figure is allegedly of a Native American. My parents were told that the Roman number IIII (vice IV) can help date it. Any information would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.

The history of digital technology frequently overlooks a fundamental truth: long before algorithms were encoded into silicon, they were physically sculpted in brass and steel. During the mid-nineteenth century, a singular individual recognized that mechanical illusion and temporal measurement shared the exact same mathematical foundation: Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. For Robert-Houdin, illusionism was not a matter of mysticism, but rather the logical extension of high-precision micro-mechanics.

I. The Horological Vision: Universal Order within the Gear

Before ever stepping onto a theatrical stage, Robert-Houdin spent years in his family’s workshop cleaning pinions, tempering mainsprings, and calibrating balance wheels. This rigorous training shaped a distinct philosophical perspective: the physical world operates as a regulated mechanism, and behavioral sequences can be systematically programmed.

While contemporary illusionists relied heavily on rudimentary sleight of hand or concealed drapery, Robert-Houdin introduced the analytical mindset of the horological workshop to the theater. His inventions were not mere tricks, but patented systems of physical transmission. Notably, he was an absolute pioneer in applying electricity to horology, creating some of the earliest precision electric clocks. His vision centered on utilizing invisible kinetic forces to alter human perception. To him, an automaton was never a decorative toy; it was a definitive demonstration of absolute control over matter, sequence, and time.

II. The Mechanical Masterpiece: The Marvelous Orange Tree

In 1845, Robert-Houdin debuted his most celebrated creation in Paris: an automaton that openly defied the laws of botany and linear time before a live audience. The operation of the Orange Tree was not a product of chance; it required a rigorous choreography of internal micro-mechanisms that modern engineering identifies as a rigid, hardware-implemented sequential program. The illusion progressed through three strictly timed phases:

1. Mechanical Efflorescence: Upon receiving an impulse from the operator, the tree trunk—which concealed a dense array of nested, telescopic control rods—distributed kinetic force to the lower branches. Metallic leaves parted subtly to reveal small white buds crafted from silk, which unfolded progressively to simulate blooming.
2. Fructification Sequences: Utilizing a system of dual-profile cams (irregularly shaped discs that transform rotary motion into precise linear displacement), the silk buds retreated invisibly. Concurrently, thin-skinned orange spheres were mechanically pushed outward from the interior of the foliage, simulating real-time growth and ripening.
3. The Lepidopteran Release: The primary orange at the apex of the tree, possessing a segmented structural design, split open into four symmetrical quadrants via a timed spring escapement. From its core emerged two mechanical butterflies attached to ultra-fine steel wires. Driven by a miniature clockwork motor hidden in the base of the fruit, they flapped their wings naturally, completing the cycle.

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