Ernest Esclangon (1876-1954), who became director in 1929, was searching for new ways of transmitting time. Using the new techniques of the talking cinema, he invented the talking clock, which delivered time over telephone. It was an instant and enormous success. Soon after, the time was delivered by radio. Various kinds of talking clocks followed at the Observatory, but today the talking clock has lost a large part of its attraction due to the transmission of time over the Internet.

caption : The first talking clock - credits : BNF

To know more : The first speaking clock