Ferdinand Berthoud
| Ferdinand Berthoud | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18/19 March 1727 Plancemont-sur-Couvet |
| Died | 20 June 1807 Montmorency |
| Occupation | watchmaker and scientist |
Ferdinand Berthoud (18/19 March 1727, Plancemont-sur-Couvet, Val-de-Travers, Canton of Neuchâtel – 20 June 1807, Groslay) was a Swiss watchmaker and scientist. He was awarded the title of Master Watchmaker in Paris in 1753. He occupied the position of Horologist-Mechanic by appointment to the King and the Navy and left behind him an exceptionally broad body of work, notably in the field of marine chronometers. He succeeded the pioneering work of Henry Sully. At the king's insistence he travelled to England to view the chronometers of John Harrison.
Together with his great rival, Pierre Le Roy, Berthoud contributed to the development of the chronometer, . He was made a member of the Institute of France and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1764. Among other works he wrote Essai sur l'horlogerie in 1763.
He died in 1807 at his home in Groslay near Montmorency, Seine et Oise. He had married twice, firstly Mademoiselle Chati of Cean, and then Mademoiselle Dumoustier of Saint Quentin, but had no children. His business passed to his nephew, Louis Berthoud (1759–1813).
Ferdinand Berthoud settled in Paris on April 16, 1745 at the age of 18, a move that enabled him to perfect his knowledge of the watchmaking-clockmaking profession. He is generally considered to have entered the workshop of Julien Le Roy. Ferdinand Berthoud rapidly acquired a reputation for technical competence and achieved recognition for his innovations in his field.
From 1755 onwards, he was entrusted with writing several reference articles on horology for the “Methodical Encyclopaedia” published between 1751 and 1772 under the supervision of Diderot and d’Alembert. Ferdinand Berthoud published his first specialised book in 1759, entitled L’art de conduire et de régler les pendules et les montres, à l’usage de ceux qui n’ont aucune connaissance d’horlogerie (The art of operating and adjusting clocks and watches for those who have no horological knowledge). This was a popular scientific work that proved a great success and was translated into several languages and then repeatedly re-edited during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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