Charles Le Bon (1678 ? after 1739) was born in Bordeaux. He moved to Paris where he gained an excellent reputation, becoming ?Marchand-Horloger Privilégié du Roy? in 1707. In 1739 he gave up his office in favor of Paul Gudin. He must have had close ties with Julien LeRoy, for early biographers wrote that LeRoy served his apprenticeship with Le Bon. Although this seems unlikely, it is possible that for a short time LeRoy may have worked for Le Bon. Both became ?Horlogers de l?Academie des Sciences?, where Le Bon presented his invention for equation of time without a cam. His early type of manual equation is described by Thiout l? Aîné in his "Traité d?horlogerie", pp. 279-280, pl. 28, Paris, 1741. For a clock with his equation of time, see The Art of French Horology, Antiquorum, November 14, 1993, pp. 96-97. Le Bon clearly had an inquisitive mind and was constantly searching for new and better solutions. His equation of time is one of them, the pendulum/balance clock another. The clock has a very unusual and ingenious mechanism allowing it to work as a pendulum clock when stationary on a table, or as a balance clock when traveling. The concept involves setting a pin on the balance rim and an unusual and very clever lifting, blocking and amplitude-controlling contrivance described above. The shape and size of the clock would suggest it is a traveling clock, or pendulette de voyage. However, the clockmaker, Charles Le Bon, considered and labeled it a coach clock, or horloge de carosse. Its dual purpose is clearly indicated by the words "carosse" and "repos" visibly engraved on the small dial on the back of the case. A lever allows the owner to engage the pendulum as regulator for home use, or the balance as regulator for travel. This clever device afforded greater precision to the clock. The importance of this timepiece can be seen by the splendid chasing of the mercury-gilt bronzes, and the white enamel dial embellished by a delicately painted enamel decoration, adding to its elegance. The quality and originality of the movement are particularly striking. The plates are of the same shape as the case and the moving force of the going train is transmitted via a fusee and chain, which is very unusual for a French clock. It must originally have had a leather-covered wooden carrying case with a large handle so that it could be hung from a hook in the carriage, this has unfortunately been lost over the years. This is an exceptional piece of great historical and technical interest, because it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt the multi-functionality of this type of horology in France. An extremely rare example of a multi-functional clock, but more like a traveling clock than a coach clock, was made in England by the famous Thomas Tompion. It too was fitted with a pendulum and balance regulator, and is preserved in the British Museum (another similar one is in a private collection). John Paulet, an English horologer known for his traveling and coach clocks, made certain examples with solid silver cases during the first quarter of the 18th century. These were in the form of traveling clocks, but some had the gimbaled pendant typical of the coach clock. The important difference between the Le Bon clock and the English ones is that the latter are primarily traveling clocks, with a form characteristic of the table clock, and a handle on the top allowing them to be moved if so desired. The Le Bon clock, although it possesses characteristics typical of a French table clock, was considered by its maker to be a coach clock as well. For a discussion on traveling clocks see "The Traveling or Carriage Clock and the Coach Clock" by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Vox 2003.