Barometers Realm

At the heart of the device is a brass drum mounted on a metal base, featuring an 8-day hourly clock movement. The original winding key, an essential companion to the mechanism, is included, ensuring the smooth operation of the clockwork. Beneath the drum lie three concealed aneroid capsules — sensitive elements that provide the high level of accuracy expected from instruments of this caliber. Their hidden placement not only protects them but also adds to the visual simplicity of the device.

The brass lever extending from the aneroid capsules ends in a delicate writing pen tipped with a drop of ink. This pen meticulously traces atmospheric pressure changes onto a paper chart, which is securely fastened to the drum by a slender metal plate. The result is a detailed and continuous record of barometric fluctuations, captured with both scientific rigor and mechanical elegance.

The protective dome, made of transparent plastic, shields the drum and its mechanism from external elements while offering an unobstructed view of its intricate workings. The dome is topped with a polished metal lid, adding a touch of refinement to the device’s utilitarian purpose. The base of the instrument is covered in light brown velour, providing stability and preventing surface scratches.

Léon Maxant was a French watchmaker and instrument manufacturer. He was born in 1856 and began producing watches in 1879. Maxant expanded the company’s activities to include the production of precision instruments when, in 1887, he acquired the company Maison Desbordes, which had been founded in 1824. Desbordes manufactured, among other things, physical, mathematical, optical, and navigational instruments, as well as safety devices for steam engines. From then on, the business was called “Instruments de Précision, Léon Maxant Sr.” and was located at 64 Rue de Saintonge in Paris, but by 1902 it also had a branch at 38 Rue Belgrand.

Léon Maxant’s company produced barometers, barographs, manometers, as well as pyrometers, thermometers, thermographs, speedometers, laboratory instruments, and other devices.

In 1902, Maxant acquired the competing company Alfred Casse, which specialized in the production of aneroid barometers. In 1905, he purchased Maison Antoine Redier from its then-owners.

Léon Maxant passed away in 1936, leaving the business to his three sons. Maxant Industries still exists today and, since 1999, has been part of Jules Richard Instruments (JRI), located in Fesches-le-Châtel, near Audincourt and Beaucourt.