The clocks of Burgos, Oviedo, León, Valladolid and Astorga cathedrals: commissions and journeys in Spanish watchmaking of the peninsular north

Abstract

With the passage to the Modern Age, the demand for clocks for cathedral temples throughout Europe was increasing, beginning to manufacture first-class engineering pieces in countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland or England; becoming the last one, since the mid-eighteenth century, in the reference enclave for the Spanish watch industry. Its elaboration in British lands and subsequent shipment to port areas, such as Bilbao or Gijón, constituted an obligatory trip for these masterpieces, product of technical skills of renowned watchmakers. Throughout this investigation we will analyze the commissions, manufacturing and repair of the main cathedral clocks of the Spanish peninsular north, in the cities of Burgos, Oviedo, León, Valladolid and Astorga.