French Carriage Clock

         Below are photos of a French carriage clock (circa 1880 - 1890) as it was disassembled. French carriage clocks differed from French pendulum clocks in that they were designed to be portable. They could be moved without affecting the timekeeping. The case made it possible to view the mechanism from all sides, making them especially attractive.

         This carriage clock has a repeater strike mechanism. It has a button on top of the case which can be pressed to hear the strike. This feature made it possible to tell time in the dark. The clock also has an alarum (alarm mechanism). The result is a complicated arrangement of gears and levers. All parts were fitted and finished by hand.

Fig. 1

         The rear view in Figure 2 shows the alarm hammer on the left and the hour strike hammer on the right.

Fig. 2

         The side view in Figure 3 shows the gears of the strike mechanism.

Fig. 3

         The side view of Figure 4 shows the alarm mechanism. The mainspring barrel for the alarm is smaller than the others.

Fig. 4

         In Figure 5, the alarm mechanism is in front. The time train is in the middle and the strike train is in the rear. The craftsmanship is superb.

Fig. 5

         French carriage clocks were equipped with platform escapements, usually cylinder escapements, English Lever or Swiss Lever escapements. This platform has an English Lever escapement. The top surface was silver plated.

Fig. 6

         A better view of the English Lever escapement can be seen after some parts are removed.

Fig. 7

         The balance wheel has a single roller, typical for English Levers.

Fig. 8

         Compare Figure 1 with Figure 9, which shows the front plate of another carriage clock with a non-repeater strike mechanism and no alarm. This layout is similar to many other French clocks. Notice the stopworks on the time barrel.

Fig. 9

         There is nothing unusual about the design of this clock that the watchmaker needs to watch out for. The design of the strike rack mechanism is the best I have seen (read the essay about repairing the strike rack mechanism, in this website). However, the post for the gathering pallet is small and easily broken off. Look for wear in the escapement: the balance may need to be restaffed. Check the depthing of the contrate gear into the escape wheel pinion carefully.

         French carriage clocks should only be serviced by experienced watchmakers since many clockmakers do not have the skills needed to service a clock that is actually more like a watch than a clock. They are among the most difficult clocks to service.

         It is difficult to appreciate quality until you have something to compare it to. Figures 10 and 11 show a modern Chinese (?) carriage clock (circa 2001). Despite its numerous features (hour repeater, alarm, day, date), the craftsmanship is no comparison next to a French carriage clock.

Fig. 10




Fig. 11

         Here is another interesting platform from a Kieninger mantle clock mechanism (ca. 2002).

Fig. 12



French Morbier Clock

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