Corinthian Column Carriage Clock
These corinthian column carriage clock pieces combine classical architecture with precision movement, offering a dependable desk timekeeper built for travel.
Corinthian Column Carriage Clock
A corinthian column carriage clock brings classical Greek architectural form into the portable timekeeper, featuring distinct fluted corner columns and ornate capitals. The pieces appearing here generally date from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, spanning the late nineteenth century.
Most examples hail from French workshops alongside English retailers like Mappin and Webb. They take the traditional brass-framed glass case and apply the proportions and decorative vocabulary of classical revival architecture to the upright corners.
How they were made
Maker construction relies heavily upon heavy cast brass or gilt bronze for the structural frames and Corinthian capitals. Bevelled glass panels fit tightly into the sides and top, allowing light to reach the escapement and enamel dial within.
Movements utilise brass plates and steel arbors, often incorporating complex striking, repeating or grand sonnerie mechanisms. Enamel dials feature hand-painted chapter rings and occasionally subsidiary calendar or moon-phase displays.
Listings feature pieces spanning the Victorian and Edwardian periods, employing gilt brass, gilt bronze, enamel, and bevelled glass.
What varies in quality
The sophistication of the movement separates standard striking models from complex pieces with grand sonnerie, repeating functions or calendar complications. Higher quality work is evident in the crispness of the cast bronze capitals and the depth of the gilding.
Dial execution dictates visual merit, with finely painted mask dials and decorated enamel panels indicating superior workshop production. The weight of the architectural case and the precision fit of the bevelled glass panels reflect the overall standard of manufacture.
Mappin and Webb
The Corinthian Column Carriage Clock Glossary
- Carriage clock
- A portable spring-driven timekeeper enclosed in a brass and glass case, originally designed for travel during the nineteenth century. These clocks usually feature a folding handle on top.
- Corinthian capital
- The ornate, bell-shaped crowning feature of a column adorned with acanthus leaves. On these clocks, four such capitals sit at the top of the corner pillars.
- Grande sonnerie
- A complex striking train that chimes both the hours and the quarters automatically on every quarter hour. It represents a high level of horological achievement in nineteenth-century production.
- Bevelled glass
- Glass panes featuring angled, polished edges that fit securely into the brass rebates of the case. This technique adds depth and catches light from multiple angles.
- Platform escapement
- The self-contained escapement assembly mounted visibly on top of the movement train. It replaced the pendulum to allow portable clocks to keep time while moving.
Corinthian Column Carriage Clock: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a corinthian column carriage clock?
A corinthian column carriage clock is a portable nineteenth-century timekeeper featuring classical fluted pillars and ornate leaf-carved capitals at each corner. They combine heavy brass and gilt bronze architectural cases with mechanical movements visible through bevelled glass panels.
These pieces emerged during the Victorian and Edwardian periods, combining French horological engineering with classical revival design. They were built to sit on desks, mantelpieces or travel inside protective leather cases.
How do repeating mechanisms work?
A repeating mechanism allows the clock to chime the last hour and quarter-hour on demand when a button on top is pressed. This feature was essential during the nineteenth century before bedside electric lighting.
Makers achieved this through an additional rack and snail mechanism driven by a separate gear train within the heavy brass movement. It represents a more complex grade of production than standard striking models.
How do I wind my carriage clock?
Winding requires a matching key inserted into the arbors located on the backplate of the movement. Most nineteenth-century examples are eight-day movements requiring attention once a week.
Care must be taken not to overwind the mainspring barrels, stopping as soon as resistance is felt. Turning the hands should be done gently and strictly in the correct direction indicated by the dial instructions.
Where were these clocks made?
The vast majority of nineteenth-century carriage clocks originate from French workshops, particularly in Paris and Saint-Nicolas d'Aliermont. English retailers like Mappin and Webb frequently retailed these imported movements alongside their own branded offerings.
French makers specialised in the heavy cast brass architectural cases and complex striking trains. These items were then distributed across Europe to meet the demands of affluent Victorian travellers and collectors.