Sherman doesn't walk, talk, weld cars, or roam Mars. He doesn't try to kill Sarah Connor, help Luke Skywalker, warn Will Robinson, star in feature-length films, or enforce the law. In fact, Sherman really only does two things, but he does both extremely well. Sherman tells the time. And Sherman makes people smile, which is probably the world's most useful and emotionally valuable complication.
The movement plates and bridges of the clock make up the skeleton and body of the robot; Sherman’s mainspring barrel bridge extends down to support his rubber caterpillar tracks, movement spacers act as shoulders for the arms, and his eyes are bolt heads supporting the regulator. The transparent dome on Sherman's head reveals his mechanical brain. Sherman's arms can be manipulated into nearly any configuration, and his hands can be used to hold items.
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Sherman's mechanics are based on a L'Epée in-line eight-day movement, which ensures that the friendly tank-treaded table clock can display the correct time for more than a week before rewinding.
The clock regulator’s gentle beating and intricate composition are made visible thanks to its polished glass dome cover. If the protective dome acts like a skull, then the regulator symbolises Sherman’s brain at work.
His rubber caterpillar tracks are fully functional and, with a little help from a friend, he can roll over the rugged terrain of a typical office desk.
For more live pics, wristshots and other cool images, check out our Instagram account.
Maximilian Büsser and Arnaud Nicolas CEO of L’Épée 1839Conceived and developed by MB&F, engineered and crafted by L’Epée 1839, Sherman is the result of Maximilian Büsser’s on-going quest to revisit his childhood, during which he hankered for a robot friend.
Sherman's name – as his continuous tracked undercarriage hints at – is derived from the prolific M4 Sherman tank used by the USA and its allies in World War II. Officially called the Medium Tank M4; it was dubbed the Sherman M4 by the British, who named it after General William Tecumseh Sherman. While the name may have originated in a war scenario, he is most definitely a robot of peace, since Sherman is fitted with the most powerful weapon of all: the ability to make you smile.
L’Epée 1839 has been a prominent clockmaking manufacture for 185 years. Today, it is the only manufacture in Switzerland to specialize in the production of high-end clocks. Founded in 1839 by Auguste L’Epée in Sainte-Suzanne, France, the company originally focused on producing music boxes and watch components. Even at this early stage, the brand was synonymous with entirely handmade pieces.
Starting in 1850, the manufacture became a leader in producing escapements and began to develop special regulators for alarm clocks, table clocks, and musical watches. It gained wide recognition and filed numerous patents for special escapements, particularly for use in its anti-knocking, auto-starting, and constant force systems. L’Epée 1839 became the principal supplier of several famous clockmakers and went on to win many gold medals at World Fairs.
Today, L’Epée 1839 is based in the Swiss Jura Mountains (Delémont), under the direction of CEO Arnaud Nicolas. The manufacture still upholds this incredible know-how in the passionate creation of unique horological sculptures manufactured entirely in-house.
In 2023, L’Epée 1839 wins the “Mechanical clock” award at the Grand Prix de L’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) with Time Fast II in chrome, a creative and technical challenge.
www.lepee1839.chSherman is available in limited editions of 200 palladium-plated pieces, 200 gold-plated pieces and 50 diamond-set pieces.
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