Astronomical Desk Clock with Westminster Chime — Blue Base

The cosmos turns. The clock chimes. And you decide when to hear it.

Beneath its frame the earth travels its yearly orbit of the sun while turning on its own axis every 24 hours, and the moon circles the earth every 29.5 days, showing its phases as they appear from our planet. Across the year, a flat disc tracks the earth's passage through all twelve zodiac signs, the months and the individual days.

And on every quarter hour it strikes the Westminster chime — the melody of Big Ben — on four polished bells.

Chrome on a striking blue base. Made in Germany.

You Decide When to Hear It

• Chime shut-off switch — stop the melody whenever you wish while the clock keeps running
• Automatic night-time shut-off — it quiets itself through sleeping hours without you touching it

What Sets It Apart

• 11-jewel platform escapement — the jewelling technique of fine wristwatches, reducing friction and extending working life
• Separate seconds indication — a technical detail that sharpens the reading
• A complete orrery — earth, moon and zodiac in mechanical motion
• Westminster chime on four bells — the Big Ben melody rung from metal that resonates, not an electronic speaker
• Dual sound control — a manual switch and an automatic night shut-off together
• 8-day mechanical movement — spring-wound, no electricity and no battery
• Blue base — an uncommon colour in fine clockmaking
• Made in Germany — by Hermle of Gosheim, since 1922

Specifications

• Product type: Mechanical astronomical desk clock with chime
• Model: Tellurium II
• Movement: 8-day spring-wound mechanical movement
• Escapement: 11-jewel platform escapement
• Astronomical display: The earth's yearly orbit and its 24-hour rotation; the moon circling every 29.5 days with its phases; the twelve zodiac signs, months and days on a flat disc
• Indications: Hours, minutes and a separate seconds indication
• Chime: Westminster chime on four polished bells
• Sound control: Chime shut-off switch plus automatic night shut-off
• Dimensions: 35 cm high, 29 cm wide
• Finish: Chrome on a blue base
• Origin: Made in Germany

Care Instructions

• Wind the movement at the interval stated for the model, always at the same time of day.
• Move the hands forward only, pausing at every chime or strike until it completes.
• Dust the case with a soft, dry cloth; use a wood-appropriate polish on wooden cases only.
• Clean the glass with a cloth lightly dampened with glass cleaner — never spray directly onto the clock.
• Keep away from radiators, direct sunlight, and humidity, and have the movement serviced by a specialist every few years.

Perfect Gift For

A gift that marks time itself — fitting for weddings, retirements, corporate anniversaries, and the handing over of an office or a home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Tellurium?
A mechanical model of the solar system — an orrery. It shows the earth orbiting the sun over a year while rotating on its axis every 24 hours, and the moon circling the earth every 29.5 days with its changing phase. A flat disc tracks the zodiac, the months and the days.

What is the Westminster chime?
A sequence of four musical phrases played on the quarter hour, best known as the melody of Big Ben in London. This clock plays it on four polished bells.

What does an 11-jewel escapement mean?
Synthetic ruby bearings are set at the points of greatest friction in the movement, exactly as in fine wristwatches. They reduce wear, hold accuracy, and extend the working life of the mechanism.

Can the chime be switched off?
Yes — in two ways. A shut-off switch stops the melody at any time while the clock continues to keep time, and an automatic night-time shut-off quiets it through sleeping hours on its own.

How often does it need winding?
Every 8 days — a full week of running on a single winding.

How does it differ from the black and chrome version?
They are the same model in two finishes — identical movement, escapement, chime, sound control and 35 × 29 cm format. Only the base colour differs: this one in a striking blue, the other in black. Choose blue for an uncommon colour that stands out, black for the highest contrast against the chrome.

Does it need servicing?
Yes, like any precision mechanical movement — a specialist clockmaker should inspect and oil it every few years.

About Hermle

Franz Hermle & Sohn was founded in 1922 in Gosheim, in Germany's clockmaking heartland near the Black Forest. Within a decade it had become one of the most advanced makers of clock movements in Europe, and it remains among the world's largest manufacturers of mechanical movements. Now in its third generation, Hermle builds every movement in Germany and supplies clockmakers across the globe.