Paris: Le Défenseur du Temps, an astonishing automaton clock in the Horloge district of Paris

Ever heard of Le Défenseur du Temps in Paris? This historic automaton clock, recently renovated, awaits you in the Horloge district which gives it its name. Discover its history right up to the present day.

It once graced the Horloge district, then disappeared overnight... Le Défenseur du Temps, a work by French artist Jacques Monestier, was for a long time the beating heart of life in the district that gave it its name, between Rue Saint-Martin, Rue Rambuteau, Rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare and Rue Beaubourg. A work of art, a clock with automata, a real beating heart that delighted local residents until 2003, when it disappeared from 8 rue Bernard-de-Clairvaux, where it was installed in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris.

Le Défenseur du Temps in Paris: technical details

The clock is 4m high and weighs a ton. Next to the spherical dial is a man, a kind of soldier with a sword and shield in each hand, defending the clock against three creatures: a crab, a bird and a dragon. The three animals represent the sky, fire and sea. Every hour, between 9am and 10pm, the soldier took it in turns to fight one of the three creatures. However, at 12pm, 6pm and 10pm, all three creatures attacked him simultaneously.

Commissioned in 1975 by Cogedim, the work was created by Jacques Monestier, with the help of artists Louis Desouches for the dragon's scales and Alain Moirod for the steel structure. It was installed on rue Bernard-de-Clairvaux, Paris, in September 1979, and inaugurated on October 8, 1979 by the then Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac. The first restoration took place in 1995, with a complete technical overhaul. The quartz clock was replaced by a radio-controlled clock, and the sound system was upgraded from a tape recorder to a CD player.

A little tour and then you're gone... For a return to grace!

And then one fine day in 2003, on July 1 to be precise, the clock stopped working (to be precise: it wasn't removed, it just stopped working). The reason? Too costly to restore. Jacques Monestier decided to pull the plug on his work, as he lacked the means to carry out the necessary maintenance. But don't say goodbye too soon... And with good reason: artist Cyprien Gaillard has completely restored it, making it the centerpiece of his exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations, HUMPTY/DUMPTY, which ended in 2023.

$Exposition HUMPTY\DUMPTY au Palais de Tokyo et à Lafayette Anticipations - nos photos$ $Exposition HUMPTY\DUMPTY au Palais de Tokyo et à Lafayette Anticipations - nos photos$ $Exposition HUMPTY\DUMPTY au Palais de Tokyo et à Lafayette Anticipations - nos photos$ $Exposition HUMPTY\DUMPTY au Palais de Tokyo et à Lafayette Anticipations - nos photos$ HUMPTY\DUMPTY exhibition at Palais de Tokyo and Lafayette Anticipations - our photos
The Palais de Tokyo and Lafayette Anticipations are hosting an exhibition by Cyprien Gaillard, HUMPTY\DUMPTY, from October 19, 2022 to January 8, 2023. An artistic project exhibited simultaneously in two different venues. [Read more]

The work of art was reinstalled in its original location in the district immediately after the exhibition, on February 6, 2023. It is now back in operation, bringing a new lease of life to the heart of the district. An opportunity to rediscover this curious work of art, and to preserve its memory! Shall we drop in for a visit, folks?