What is a Carriage Clock?
A carriage clock is a modestly sized clock in a rectangular housing, designed for travel in the 19th century. Since people traveled by carriage in this period, these clocks needed to stand up to the rigors of a trip without failing. Carriage clocks reached their zenith in the late 1860s, and formal versions are sometimes given to people on special occasions like weddings. Although carriage clocks were considered travel clocks in the 1800s, they are much larger than conventional travel clocks, to house the traditionally spring-driven mechanism of the clock. Several characteristics can be used to identify a carriage clock. The first is the case, which is usually made from polished brass or another bright metal. The face of the clock is covered in glass, while the hands may be placed on a porcelain background to make them clearly visible. The porcelain may also be decorated, especially in antique carriage clocks, which often include elaborate painted scenes. A carriage clock also has a la
Carriage clocks were, as the name suggests, originally designed as portable timepieces in the days before watches were commonly available to buy. The typical carriage clock consists of a plain rectangular body with a handle on the top. Standard height was around 6 in (about 15 cm). The majority of antique carriage clocks were made in France in the latter half of the 19th century. The French term for them was “pendule de voyage”. These clocks usually had an eight day movement and were based around either an anchor or a cylinder escapement. Some carriage clocks were made in England, however these were far fewer in number and tended to be top of the range models by the best horologists of the time. Because of this, English carriage clocks from the period often fetch good prices on the market. The functionality of the carriage clock varied considerably. Most simply had a single dial with hours and minutes. Some also had secondary, subsidiary dials showing the seconds or the days of the wee
Carriage or traveling clocks were introduced in the 15th century to allow the table or mantle clock to transported while still being used. Most of these clocks had chimes and/or alarms to be used as tables clocks. The modern version of the Traveling Clock, or Carriage Clock, began in 1798, when A.L.Breguet sold his first carriage clock, or pendulette de voyage to General Napoleon Bonaparte, a few weeks before his departure for the Egyptian campaign.
