Beloved by theirs inhabitants, the Picantins were probably installed above the clock of the city hall around the year 1530. This particular name come from the function, to strike the time : "pique en temps", in local Picard pronunciation, who gave "Picantin"
The three statues, made of wood, represented the enemies of France : the English (l'anglais in french), the Bourguignon (le bourguignon), and the German (l'allemand).
So, Compiegne's inhabitants named them respectively Langlois, Flandrin and Lansquenet.
After more than one century of operation, exposed to all weather situations, it was necessary to proceed to complete refurbishment. We were selected to take care of this job.
Sculptured in the heart of old oak, they were repainted in their original colours, and this required long researches to find the tints of paint at this time.
All the metal works were replaced by stainless resistant materials. The 5 feet 4 inches square dial is made of 1 feet thick engraved glass.