Clockmaker / instrument maker / mathematician
Jost Bürgi
Also recorded as: Joost Bürgi · Jobst Bürgi
Court clockmaker to Kassel and Prague whose precision clocks served astronomical observation.
Born in Lichtensteig in Toggenburg, Bürgi served Landgrave Wilhelm IV of Hesse-Kassel from 1579 and Emperor Rudolf II in Prague from 1604. His clocks, with the cross-beat escapement and remontoires, were among the first to show minutes and seconds with useful accuracy. He also made celestial globes and independently developed a table of logarithms.
- Country
- Switzerland / Holy Roman Empire
- City / centre
- Kassel; Prague
- Life / active
- 1552–1632
- Status
- Historical individual
- Key people
- Jost Bürgi
Innovations & specialities
- Cross-beat escapement
- Remontoire
- Minute and seconds indication in astronomical clocks
Works by Jost Bürgi in the catalogue
Open in the catalogue →
Linked through the Atlas maker authority list, which reconciles the spellings used by different institutions. Attributions are as stated by each holding institution or auction house.
