Eugène Farcot (1830-1896) was in business as a clockmaker in Paris, France from 1860-1890. He was especially known for his accurate conical clocks, so called because the pendulum bob moved in a circle and caused the rod to trace an invisible cone. Also active as an engineer in other fields, he was a member of the Société aérostatique et météorologique de France, founded in 1852.

In 1859, Farcot published his ideas for steam-powered balloons in a brochure, "La navigation atmosphérique" (Paris, Librairie nouvelle). Five years later, in 1864, he imagined in his manuscript novel, “Un Voyage aérien; dans cinquante ans,” that by 1914 it would be possible to travel from Europe to Africa in a steam-powered dirigible airship.

Meanwhile, Farcot himself made an exciting journey in a conventional hot-air balloon in 1870. On October 12, 1870 Farcot piloted the “Louis-Blanc,” one of the balloons used to carry mail out of Paris, while the city was besieged by the German army during the Franco-Prussian War. His successful flight took him to Belgium, thus making him the first French aeronaut to land in Belgium.

When Farcot died in 1896, his son and daughter were already deceased, but his son-in-law, whose surname was Wandenberg, continued his clock business until 1906. Farcot’s will included a substantial bequest to the Société française de navigation aérienne, founded in 1872.