SECTICON

MODEL T2 TABLE CLOCK

ROSSO/RED

ANGELO MANGIAROTTI, ITALIAN (1921-2012)

We offer the red Secticon T2 table clock designed by Angelo Mangiarotti. This clock features a brass tone dial with Roman numerals and is marked “Secticon”. Angelo Mangiarotti was an Italian architect and industrial designer active in the mid 20th century.

The elegant injection-molded shell holds a beautifully-designed face that is positioned at an ideal angle in relation to the eye. Original functioning movement (clock keeps time for about 48 hours without resetting). An exceptional example. The clock measures 3 3/4" wide by 3 1/2" deep. In good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use.

Notes by: Jim Kelly

In 1960 Angelo Mangiarotti an Italian architect and urban designer, designed Secticon a range of clocks with plastic cases and utilizing a clock movement by the firm of Portescap. 
The clocks were manufactured in la Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland by Le Porte-Echappement Universal (Universal Escapements Ltd)
Model t1 is the tallest and most sought after of these clocks.
The Portescap clock movement is contained within a clear plastic housing within the clock case, it has no main spring and utilizes a dry cell battery to drive a small motor electric motor, which runs continuously at about 1000 rpm. By an ingenious arrangement this motor drives the escapement, which is a unique type of remontoire lever escapement controlled by a typical balance and spring, receiving impulse through one direction of its swing. It beats half seconds. The escapement in turn drives the motion work, through worm gearing.
The clock movement carries the Ato licence for transistor switching, and the clock will run for about 18 months on a standard U2.
The book of Eliot Isaacs 'Electronic Clocks and Watches 1840 - 1960' has several pages on this clock with diagrams/photos, dismantling & adjustment instructions on pp. 336 to 347 at the very end of the book. 

Notes by: David Read 
The Secticon was first distributed in the UK by Hudepohl Ltd, 34 Hatton Garden shortly after it created a lot of interest at the 1961 Basle Fair. Hudepohl at that time were the suppliers in the UK of the Portescap range of Vibrograph watch timers. 

It proved a mistake to use Hudepol for for the Secticon, so from December 1962 Portescap appointed Baume & Co. of Hatton Garden as sole distributors. Baume had been the UK's sole agent for Longines from before the turn of the century. It also had an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of high grade watches and was known to all the luxury retailers so was ideally suited to distribute a beautifully designed and expensive precision clock. It was in these early days that the name Secticon briefly appeared. This arose because the use of the name Secticon in the UK was contested by Smiths on the basis that it was too close to their own name "Sectric". In the event, the challenge got nowhere and the name quickly reverted to Secticon. Nevertheless enough were made for an occasional Secticon to still turn up. 

Baume looked after the Secticon for five years after which responsibility for distribution and service moved in 1965 to Gent who had a London office and showroom at 47 Victoria Street. At this stage Gent also used the movement in some of their own dial clocks and these still occasionally turn up. Gent had a repair and service address at Eden Grove in Holloway London N7 but they could only send a Secticon requiring attention to Leicester. 

Sales of the Secticon had never been substantial and went downhill under Gent’s wholly unimaginative marketing of it as a "transistorised clock in a plastic case". Whilst Hudophol and Baume at least advertised the clock with words like "aestheticism combined with precision", and "breakthrough in art of timekeeping", Gents first announcement used the words "transistorised battery clocks made in Switzerland by the well known manufacturer of incabloc". For most potential buyers for an expensive clock, Portescap and Incabloc meant nothing and much cheaper transistorised battery clocks were available from many manufacturers. Not only was the Secticon too expensive for a clock of that mundane description, but Gents advertising completely failed to mention the very features that could sell it. Namely, an outstandingly accurate clock in cases designed by the Italian architect Mangiarotti that were already design classics. 

Portescap also sold uncased movements to high end manufacturers such as as Jeager Le-Coultre and Imhof and Wempe. These appeared in fine cases that were devised by the companies concerned. Certain luxury jewellers such as Garrard in Regent Street also cased the movement themselves. 

By the early 1980’s the age of quartz clocks had become well established and cheap quartz movements became readily available. Portescap’s own manufacturing of both the Secticon and their own very high grade quartz movement for chronometers was no longer competitive and the decision was taken to cease manufacture of products for the “high street”. Finally, in 1985 support for the Secticon movement was withdrawn and the remaining spare parts sold off.