Charles V clock, Turret clock at Palais de la Cité, France

The Charles V clock is mounted on the outer wall of the Palais de la Cité and displays the complex design of a medieval mechanical timepiece with striking mechanisms. The dial and its moving hands remain visible from street level and form a distinctive feature on this historic palace structure.

A German clockmaker named Heinrich von Wiek built this timepiece between 1362 and 1370, making it the first public clock in Paris. It represents a turning point when Europe shifted from older timekeeping systems to more reliable mechanical clocks.

The two Latin plaques are verses by Jean de Jandun, quoted in the sources: the upper reads "Qui dedit ante duos triplicem dedit ille coronam", the lower "Machina que bis sex tam juste dividit horas justitiam servare monet leges que tueri". The lower verse tells passers-by that the machine dividing the twelve hours so evenly urges them to keep justice and guard the laws. The gilded figures flanking the dial, one winged and one holding scales, carry the same civic message.

The clock hangs on the Tour de l'Horloge, on the north side of the Palais de la Cité facing the quai de l'Horloge; it is seen from the street and from the Pont au Change, not from inside the courtyard. The four sides of the square tower carry the same dial, so it can be read from several directions.

The two Latin plaques carry verses by Jean de Jandun: the upper one reads "Qui dedit ante duos triplicem dedit ille coronam", the lower warns the machine keeps justice and guards the laws. The dial's twelve hours are divided so evenly that the inscription calls it a lesson in fairness.