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Antique Carriage Clocks
The late 1800s saw antique carriage clocks produced in vast numbers by the French, the clock case and movement being made in two separate workshops and married together by a clockmaker who would attach his name somewhere on the clock, normally on the dial but sometimes on the movement. Some famous makers you may come across are Breguet, Garnier, Drocourt, Jacot and Margraine and some important English makers such as Vulliamy, Dent, McCabe and Frodsham.
Although the French were the main producers of Antique Carriage Clocks, the English did make a smaller number and the best ones to collect are made by London makers. Most use the fusee movement but there were also some very fine examples made of a Chronometer Carriage Clock, using the chronometer escapement. You may find a serial number on many clocks, mainly on the movement or on the dial. These can be misleading as to the original maker as often the seller would place his mark on the dial. Today there are many sources of serial numbers that can often be married to specific makers which will assist in dating the clock. Types of Antique Carriage Clock Case When we talk about a 'type' of carriage clock we are really referring to the type of case. They can be categorized into their respective types such as; Plain, Paneled, Engraved & Miniature. Plain These clock cases can describe both French and English clocks, but there are subtle differences between the two. You are much more likely to come across a French clock simply because they were made in such huge numbers. You can identify a French Carriage Clock by the following features :
Engraved As an adornment to the plain case, some makers started to engrave their cases with ornate engravings. It is fairly easy to spot an engraved case of quality - most have delicate flower engravings with some having complete country scenes with birds and other animals present. The entire case will often be engraved, even the carry handle having an elaborate finish. Given that engraved antique carriage clocks look far more ornate than their plain cased cousins, it should not be a surprise that the internal mechanism is often found to be of higher quality too. Clocks containing repeating and hour striking mechanisms are quite often present. A repeating mechanism is very common, with a small button on the top of the case to initiate the repeating mechanism. Clocks of this quality often have extra dials present and this will generally always add to the value of the timepiece. The most common additional dial is an alarm dial, followed by a dial showing the day of the month. In some especially high caliber clocks you may also find a seconds dial which is rare and substantially adds to the value.
Paneled Some very high quality clocks from the late 1800s had paneled cases with ornate porcelain and enamel panels on the front, back and sides. They are more delicate than their brass cousins and there aren't too many of these clocks left in good condition. Hence if you do find one in good order it is probably worth a fair sum of money. Cases surrounding the panels can be either plain or highly engraved. You may find paneled clocks with extra dials, but this is extremely rare as normally the dial was left plain so as not to distract from the ornate panels surrounding the dial. This clock was made to have more visual appeal than for its mechanical function, so most movements are quite simple and do not include the additional enhancements of plain or engraved clocks.
Miniature Miniature antique carriage clocks are just that - tiny! Often only 3 to 4 inches high, these clocks are highly sought after by collectors today and command good prices if in good condition. The quality of these small clocks is often higher than that of similar standard sized clocks, many having very ornate and delicate engraved brass cases. Most dials on these clocks were enamel which unfortunately has a tendency to damage easily. Bear in mind that damaged dials are not easy to repair and hence any damage will affect value significantly. Movements of these clocks are often quite simple compared to that of engraved carriage clocks. Extra dials are uncommon as is a repeating function.
Happy Collecting!
Below is a list of current US & UK eBay auctions of Antique Carriage Clocks.
* all articles on auction courtesy of eBay ** links open a new window at eBay with product details. US Auctions Top
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Antique Carriage Clocks may be plain, engraved, have decorated panels and the movement may include various complications like repeating functions, alarms and calendars. Their cases were all constructed with a brass frame and this can help with dating a clock. If the frame is a solid, one-piece cast frame then you can be fairly sure that it is pre-1850, after that brass was still used but the frames were constructed out of several pieces. 
