The Comtoise Grandfather Clock of France

The Comtoise grandfather clocks, also known as the Morez or Morbier clocks, are pendulum, weight-driven clocks, that originated from the vicinity in Morbier, found in the Franche-Comt Comté region of France (Contée in the old spelling). These clocks were produced from the 17th century, until the beginning of the 20th century.

These grandfather clocks were the frontline act in popularizing the use of clocks in France. They first started gaining usage and popularity in the French countryside, where they were thought of as useful additions to farms.

Such was the rising popularity of these clocks in the 19th century, that it made the other local clock-making traditions obsolete. What's unique about the Comtoise clocks was the fact that instead of the maker's name, they were marked by the name and town of the vendor.

Aside from the Morbier region, the Jura region also had several famous clock-making centers, most specifically in Morez, Foncine le Bas, Chapelle aux Bois, Fort du Plâne (Plasne) Poligny, Belle Fontaine, and St. Ilay.

Comtoise clocks were also manufactured in the Langres Plateau region, where the best-known centers were the Neuilly Neuilly l'Archevèque, and the adjacent city of Langres. On the other hand, the villages of Luxeuil, Vesoul, and Lure Yussy were popular of the Haut-Saône region, while Pont Farcy, of the district of Calvados, and St. Nic Nicolas d'Aliermont, of the district of Seine Maritime, were also popular.

A Jura-born man by the name of M.P. Lansalot, founded a large Comtoise clock-making industry, which employed more than 300 people in Navarenx, one of the districts found in Pyrenées-Atlantique.