Paul Garnier: An Early Pendules Portative Exhibition Clock

Made primarily by Garnier to show the chaff-cutter escapement, this example has an eight-day duration movement that strikes the hours and half-hours on a bell with an outside countwheel and is fitted with Garnier's chaff-cutter escapement which he patented in 1830. The backplate is stamped with the serial number 284, P.G. Breveté, showing the application of the patent, and engraved Paul Garnier à Paris.

The silvered dial is engraved with black Roman numerals has blued-steel moon hands and is stamped to the rear P.G. Brevete, 284, with the brass bezel stamped to the rear 284 (with the 2 being an upside down 5).

The clock is mounted on an inlaid satin-wood scroll-shaped plinth and round base, with the glass dome having typical Garnier brass hooks to the underside and a brass rim, the underside of the base is numbered, in ink, 80751.

For a similar clock numbered 14 see Charles Allix & Peter Bonnert, Carriage Clocks, Their History & Development, p. 65, fig. 11/36.

See Christopher Hurrion’s comprehensive list of Garnier serial numbers for further examples.

Various examples of this style of Garnier clock have been noted including signed by Raingo Fréres and Janvier.

Paul Garnier, a carriage clock innovator, was born in 1801 and died in 1869. An associate of Janvier and a founder member of the Société de Horologers. Not by any means the inventor of the French carriage clock, but beyond question the man who first standardised and rationalised them. Paul Garnier received Silver Medals in the Paris Exhibitions of 1827, 1834 and 1839 for exhibits which included carriage clocks, and Gold Medals in 1844 and 1849, besides awards in provincial exhibitions. He was awarded a Medal of Honour in 1855. In 1860, in recognition of his many public services, Paul Garnier was named Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. Paul Garnier’s son succeeded him and died in 1917. Tripplin said in 1889 that Garnier had supplied railway station clocks throughout France “…ever since the beginning of the railway enterprise”. Paul Garnier signed himself variously: “Élevé de Janvier”, “Horologer de Roi”, “Horologer de la Marine” and "Ingeur Mcien”. Paul Garnier, his son, was still exhibiting carriage clocks in the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

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