An Extremely Rare Arnold and Frodsham Carriage Timepiece

This exceptional carriage timepiece made by one of Englands greatest clockmakers is highly unusual. The single fusee eight day movement regulated by a large fully jewelled lever escapement with monometallic balance is of incredible quality. The roman dial is beautifully engraved and gilded with fine blued steel cruciform hands and rocaille scroll decoration to spandrel areas within repeating leaf decorated gilt canted surround. The dial is signed Arnold 84 STRAND LONDON. 633.

The case is of an unusual design more commonly associated with James McCabe. The ebony case with pagoda top is in the Chinoiserie style with glazed sides and top to show the movement and glazed front and rear doors raised above a scroll work frieze with splayed feet. The whole surmounted by a brass carrying handle.

The Arnold of Arnold and Frodsham is John Roger Arnold, the son and successor of John Arnold possibly one of the most famous clockmakers of the 18th century. John Roger Arnold was apprenticed to Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris before returning to London to work with his father.

Arnold and Frodsham were not in fact a working partnership, Charles Frodsham bought John Roger Arnolds premises and stock in 1843 when Arnold died, and continued to use the name until 1858. This clock is numbered 633 and signed by Arnold only on the dial leading us to believe this was stock from Arnold’s premises made before his death. Arnold had been in partnership with Edward Dent until 1840, therefore we can date this clock fairly accurately to between 1840-1843. The back plate of the clock has been signed as Arnold and Frodsham. Charles Frodsham was one of the 19th century’s most succesful and accomplished horologists making marine chronometers and clocks. He was awarded a first class medal at the great exhibition and went on the win a further fourteen medals at other international exhibitions. He went on the become the Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty’s Clocks at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria after the death of Benjamin Vulliamy cementing his place as the nation’s leading clockmaker.

Vaudrey Mercer notes in John Arnold and Son (London 1975) p.276

“it is interesting to find that in 1821, the Naval department owned 90 Arnold Chronometers (of which 85 were made by John Roger Arnold); in addition to these they owned 6 in the name of Barraud, 5 by Brockbank, 15 by Earnshaw, 3 by Margetts, 4 by Mudge, 4 by Pennington, 3 by Parkinson & Frodsham and 1 by Young. that is to say, there were only 41 in all, in the names of all the other makers.”

This goes some way towards demonstrating just how important John Roger Arnold was in 19th century Horology.

Similar clocks are included in ‘Carriage and Other Travelling Clocks’ by Derek Roberts 1993.

This clock is shown unserviced, it will be fully overhauled prior to sale and will come with our 2 year Guarantee.

All of our clocks come with a 2 year guarantee, all of our clocks are overhauled and sympathetically restored, all of our clocks are authentic and supplied in good original condition.