English: Drawing of an early tower clock, Paris's first clock, built by Henri de Wick (also spelled de Wyck or de Vick) in 1379, one of the earliest mechanical clocks of which there is a picture. It is a weight-driven verge and foliot striking clock. The time train (fig. 2) is on the left. The timekeeper is a device called a "foliot" (top, L), consisting of a horizontal beam with two weights hanging from it, which is driven to oscillate back and forth by a mechanism called a verge escapement (I). The rate can be adjusted by moving the foliot weights in or out on the beam.

The striking train (fig. 4) is on the right. On each hour a pin on the time train hour wheel (N) lifts the lever arm (T,Q), allowing the striking train to rotate, and the "count wheel" cam (M, front) determines the number of hours that are struck on a 1,500 lb. gong (not shown). The striking train has a large sheet of metal called a "fan fly" in back, attached to its fastest moving wheel, to control the speed of striking. As the striking train turns, this beats the air, and the resistance controls the speed of the train.

The clock took 8 years to complete, with blacksmiths cutting each tooth of every gear by hand. The 500 lb driving weights (A, F) descended 32 feet in 24 hours.