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A carriage clock is a small, spring-driven clock, designed for travelling, developed in the early 19th century in France, where they were also known as "Officers' Clocks". The first carriage clock was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet for the
A carriage clock is a small, spring-driven clock, designed for travelling, developed in the early 19th century in France, where they were also known as "Officers' Clocks". The first carriage clock was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet for the Emperor Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1812. The case, usually plain or gilt-brass, is rectangular with a carrying handle and often set with glass or more rarely enamel or porcelain panels. A feature of carriage clocks is the ''platform escapement'', sometimes visible through a glazed aperture on the top of the case. Carriage clocks use a balance and balance spring for timekeeping and replaced the larger pendulum bracket clock.
The factory of Armand Couaillet, in Saint-Nicolas d'Aliermont (France) made thousands of carriage clocks between 1880 and 1920.
A carriage clock has in the past been a traditional gift from employers to retiring or long-serving staff. However, in modern times, with changing work patterns and changing desires, this is much less the case.
Sources and references
*Charles Allix and Peter Bonnert, ''Carriage Clocks. Their history and development'', Antique Collector's club, 1974 *Emmanuelle Cournarie, ''La mécanique du geste, trois siècles d'histoire horlogère à Saint-Nicolas d'Aliermont'', Édition PTC-Les Falaises, 2011 (French) *Lolita Delesque and Marianne Lombardi, ''Armand Couaillet, horloger et inventeur de génie'', Musée de l'horlogerie, juin 2013, 44p (French)External links
Antiques Clock designs {{Tech-stub