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such as E. Paillard & Cie (Switzerland), Barnett Samuel (London UK),
and Theodor Presser (United States) on the market. These firms in
most cases utilized products from Maelzel or Paquet and re-branded
them, some applying small patented improvements to the mechanisms,
design, or mechanics in order to create uniqueness and distinction in
the marketplace. The quality of some of these smaller manufacturers’
metronomes is often superior to the larger mass-produced pieces.
Others simply purchased units from larger manufacturers and added
their own label and brand.

Technology Moves Forward

In 1909, White and Hunter received a patent for a pocket
metronome having a hand which turned complete revolutions, one
revolution to a beat. Its speed was adjustable between 40 and 208
revolutions per minute. “The object of our invention,” they wrote in
their patent application “is to provide a new and improved metronome
which is simple in construction, compact, composed of few parts, not
apt to get out of order and can readily be adjusted to conform in its
beats with the beats of a conductor or the time of a piece of music being
performed and when so adjusted indicates the time at which the musical
piece is performed, on a scale commonly known as the Maelzel
metronome scale, that is, so many beats per minute.”
With the advent of controlled alternating current (AC), clocks could
operate with greater accuracy by using electricity for a steady influx of
energy, which contributed to the invention of the Franz electric
metronome (1938). In this metronome a synchronous motor, like those
used in electric clocks, drives a tempo-
beating hammer through a mechanical
Experimental metronome stamped ‘MAELZEL’ on the boxwood pendulum
and ‘M’ on the brass slider, probably made in France c.1815 reduction which is adjustable from 40
to 208. These electro-mechanical units
the age of 22 to raise the bar from his father’s small hand-to-mouth were produced through June, 1994.
metronome business. Rudolf moved the company closer to the Black Today the function of the
Forest – the source of the wood used in their metronomes, cutting costs metronome has been replaced by
for raw materials and giving them access to the best available wood. software, websites, apps for iPods and
Wittner metronomes are made under the leadership of Rudolf’s son, other portable MP3 players, “wear-
Horst. ables” with built-in software, and
Seth Thomas (Conn., 1785-1859) founded his clock company in smartphones, offering musicians and
1813 and over the next 45 years built an empire and pioneered mass composers a range of different sounds,
production of primarily clocks from his factory in Plymouth Hollow, programmable samples, and endless
Connecticut. He died in 1859 and the business fell to his sons, Seth Jr., possibilities. Yet, there is still a market
Edward, and Aaron. The Seth Thomas company, already hugely suc- for the classical metronome among
cessful in the manufacture of clocks, incorporated metronomes into old-school musicians and collectors,
their catalogue, initially purchasing them from Philippe-Nicolas Paquet who recognize the craftsmanship and
and re-branded them with the Seth Thomas name and logo. The com- engineering that has made the
pany went on to manufacture its own in-house metronome in 1887, metronome an object and technology
which continued until 1984. that continues to keep pace with time.
While these are some of the better known brands and makers to Above, Metronome, a public art installation
know, there were other, smaller antique metronome manufacturers in Manhattan’s Union Square, New York, created by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel

Yinda bullet-shape mechanical metronome Wittner Tower Line Maelzel System A-03 Classical Mechanical Trixes' Portable Mini Metronome
Metronome with Bell Metronome in clear blue with Earphone Jack

36 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles