Card Recorder Clock, Arthur Lambert, France, circa 1920

Wall clock with oak clock casework, glazed door, enamel face clock with Roman and Arabic numbers. Eight-day mechanism.

Dimensions: 140x42x18 cm

Arthur Lambert (Dourlers 1864- 1924) Dourlers is only 25 kilometers from the Belgian border and about 45 kilometers from Valenciennes. Arthur became a jeweler-watchmaker in his hometown. In 1907 he took to Valenciennes his prototype of a time clock with "carte cisaillée" or "cut card” patent. The first prototypes were put into production around 1908 by the company Denis Frères in Saint-Nicolas d'Aliermont. In 1915, Arthur flees to Saint-Nicolas during the First World War. At the end of the war, his nephew Léon Caron comes from captivity at Maubeuge to Saint-Nicolas to help Arthur. They began with the production of time recorders in a part of the factory of Denis Frères. Denis Freres manufactured the component parts, with final assembly of the time recorders being carried out by Lambert`s staff in an adjacent workshop. In 1920, a property was purchased for their own factory which was opened in 1922, the company Enregistreurs Lambert had now become reality. It becomes one of the leaders in the manufacture and distribution of time recorders in France and its colonies. The cut card recorder from Lambert has a mechanical brass movement with a Graham-type anchor escapement. The dial is enamelled copper and carries both Roman and Arabic numerals.The cabinet is oak with a glazed door. In 1924, Arthur Lambert died, his widow transferred the lead to Léon Caron. In 1930 the company was renamed as S.A.R.L Enregistreurs Lambert. Leon Caron became co-owner and then director. He was educated in the technical center of Le Locle. In 1945, Leon`s son Paul Caron, after several internships in the different departments of the Lambert company, enters the sales department which he heads. He has the idea to associate with the sale of the time recorders, a maintenance contract by which the company agrees to visit the customer twice a year to verify the proper operation of the equipment. He also develops the distribution of time recorders for companies and public structures such as schools, hospitals etc. 1973: On the death of his father, Paul Caron took over the business and became CEO of Lambert. 1987: Lambert closes its doors while AGT takes over after-sales service and maintenance of Lambert time recording devices. 2011: The company AGT-Systèmes is the last factory in Saint-Nicolas d'Aliermont to have a direct link with clock making, it manufactures tools for time control.