Recognition for Guernsey's master clockmaker
Nicolas Blondel's clocks were more than just timekeepers: they were pieces of art.
Born in 1703, Blondel was the first clockmaker in the Channel Islands, crafting around 300 timepieces, each unique and meticulously numbered.
Blondel's contribution s to Guernsey's cultural heritage were recognised in 2018 when a blue plaque was unveiled outside his former home in St Peter Port. This honour, reserved only for individuals who have made significant contributions to the island and the wider world, highlighted Blondel's enduring legacy.
65p Stamp: Grandfather clock signed by Nicolas Blondel. The clock has a calendar, showing the moon phase, date, time, minutes and seconds, a dial engraved with copper counters for phases of the moon and the date.
£1.20 Stamp: No.27, circa 1740, eight-day clock. This long clock has a 12-inch signed square dial with engraved border date aperture and allegorical season spandrels; the rack and bell striking movement is numbered on the backplate.
£2.71 Stamp: A typical Normandy clock brought to Guernsey by Mr Blondel's mentor Jean Poppelston.
£4.31 Stamp: 1762 Grandfather clock. Before the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar which took place in Britain in 1752, the date of Easter was set on a 19-year cycle. The eleven days lost made the change much more difficult, but this was possible to calculate by using the four extra apertures in the dial centre.
