Anonymous
Model of Huygens' cycloidal pendulum, 18th century
Paris, Musée des Arts et Métiers, inv. 01434

One of Christiaan Huygens' most important discoveries was the isochronous nature of the oscillations of the cycloidal pendulum. He thought of using this principle to build accurate mechanical clocks. His idea is illustrated in this model made for the experimental physics laboratory of Jacques Charles (1746-1823).