Barometers Realm

Antoine Redier, an officer of the Legion of Honor, was born in Perpignan, Eastern Pyrenees. He was an apprentice to Frédéric Perrelet, a renowned Swiss watchmaker. After completing military service, he entered the Paris School of Watchmaking on the recommendation of François Arago, a professor at the École Polytechnique and a family friend.

After obtaining his diploma, Redier worked for three years with Henri Robert, another renowned watchmaker, where he achieved notable success in repairing the clocks of the Couvent des Oiseaux monastery. In 1842, he purchased the Duchemin workshop located on Place du Châtelet in Paris and established himself as a master watchmaker. Later, he transformed the workshop into “Maison Redier & Cie.” Thanks to his numerous inventions in the field of measuring instruments, the company gained significant prominence.

Antoine Redier was not only a watchmaker but also an outstanding inventor, credited with the invention of the alarm clock. He also collaborated with Lucien Vidie on the creation of the aneroid barometer and even developed a method for its mass production. Redier manufactured barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, counters, chronometers, regulators, and more. Beginning in 1876, he developed a series of recording instruments using a combination of weights and gear systems, known as the “differential mechanism.” Redier’s self-recording barometer, based on a mercury tube, was the first such recording device and was used at meteorological stations. This innovation predated the barograph, which was based on Lucien Vidie’s invention of the sensitive aneroid capsule.

In 1892, at the age of 75, Redier passed away. His company was absorbed by Léon Maxant in 1905.